Strong Society, Smart State

Reviews / Votes

James Reilly provides us with an exhaustively-researched, nuanced, and on-the-ground look at the dynamic interaction between public opinion and foreign policy in a China that is increasingly wired, socially active, and engaged in a heated debate over its international relations. Tapping a wide range of sources, some previously undisclosed, his book insightfully explains how the Chinese leadership balances tolerance, responsiveness, persuasion, and repression to manage increasingly vocal and active bodies of opinion on sensitive foreign policy matters. The reader will come away with a far more sophisticated understanding of the most important forces at work in shaping Beijing's policies toward Japan and the Chinese Communist Party's ability to survive even as the society it leads becomes more informed, aware, and intent on having its voices heard and heeded. -- Bates Gill, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and author, Rising Star: China's New Security Diplomacy Strong Society, Smart State will shape the thinking of those concerned with Chinese foreign and domestic politics. Focusing on the oft-troubled Sino-Japanese relationship, James Reilly addresses two principal questions: Under what conditions, and to what extent, does public opinion shape foreign (and domestic) policy? And, when public opinion seems to be running out of control, how is it reined-in? His broad answers are that a strong society has developed over the reform period, exerting pressure not fully under Communist Party control; and the smart state, through a delicate mix of responsiveness and repression, has proven capable of keeping the lid on. These are elegantly stated propositions that have the further virtue of being important. -- David M. Lampton, director of China Studies and Dean of Faculty, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies A must-read for anyone with an interest in Chinese politics and foreign policy-making, public opinion and media. More broadly it casts fresh light on the impact of Chinese public opinion on China-Japan relations. -- Caroline Rose International Affairs Essential reading for anybody interested in Chinese nationalism and foreign policy. -- Christopher R. Hughes Pacific Affairs While accessible to readers with limited background knowledge of the China-Japan relationship, experienced China watchers, as well as those with an interest in international relations theory, public opinion and media, will also find it appealing. -- Matthew Thompson The China Journal an excellent addition to the literature. -- Nicholas Khoo Asian Politics and Policy His analytical framework and empirical findings provide a useful guide for the study of state-society interactions in post-Cold War authoritarian states... -- Su-Jeong Kang Journal of Chinese Political Science