After unremitting attacks on China, first over the handling of protests in Tibet and then at virtually every stop of the Olympic flame, Beijing may be in a stronger position than before. Its population is now firmly united behind the government, and even Chinese communities overseas are standing with it as never before.
The government is clearly aware of the danger of allowing public sentiment to go too far. After first whipping up emotions over Tibet and the Olympic torch relay, Chinese officials are now calling for restraint,
Two weeks ago, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said there was a reason why people were calling for a boycott of Carrefour and asked 'the French side [to] ponder over' the issue. But, last week, after protests against Carrefour in many cities, Ms Jiang condemned 'radical moves by some individuals' and urged that patriotism be expressed in a 'rational and orderly way'.
China has a history of a roused public turning against the government if it appears to be caving in under foreign pressure. This was the case in 1919, when world leaders decided to transfer German concessions in Shandong to Japan rather than return them to China. Although the Chinese delegation refused to sign the agreement, mobs in Beijing ransacked officials' homes.
This week is a particularly sensitive time, with May Day coming up tomorrow followed by May 4, the anniversary of the 1919 incident, which has been observed each year for nine decades.
But, by now, Beijing has considerable experience in how to manipulate public opinion to strengthen its hand in dealing with foreign governments while not allowing it to get out of control. Thus, in 1999, after the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was bombed, the public mood was such that Beijing made it clear to Washington that normal relations could not be resumed until the United States apologised and paid compensation.
In 2001, the collision between a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet also inflamed passions and, in 2005, there were anti-Japanese protests in several cities over the whitewashing by Tokyo of history textbooks. Both times, Beijing successfully allowed the public to vent anger while not losing control.
