Human Security In China: A Post-Pandemic State

Description

This book explores the emergent concept of 'human security' within the political context of COVID-19 Chinese politics. For decades, Western nations have used 'human rights' as a rubric with which to scold Chinese leaders, betraying a fundamental unwillingness to accept diversity of governance systems. As COVID-19 has demonstrated, different governance systems yield different outcomes—the freedom of circulation, speech and movement in Western democracies yielding one, and use of surveillance, lockdowns, and private–public collaboration in China and Asian societies such as Korea and Singapore yielding another. Chinese political scientists have become fixated on the notion of 'human security,' a utilitarian concept which insists on the importance of protecting and extending human life via health care, technology, and a wide range of other systems—sometimes, in ways which contradict Western notions of human rights, even as they demonstrably achieve superior outcomes for the humans involved. Being the first English language book to explore these issues, this book aims to generate a sustained theoretical relevance in the aftermath of the crisis which is likely to have lasting effects on how people live and will be of note for political scientists, China scholars, and economists. Acknowledgements Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction The Predicament of Human Security: Criticality vs Practicality Human Security in China Research Question Chapter Outline References 2 (Ir)responsible Centrality? External Representations of China’s COVID-19 Diplomacy Introduction China and Responsible Human Security China, Human Security and COVID-19 Representations of China’s ‘Responsibility’ and COVID-19 Conclusion References 3 Human Security and the Party-State-Society Triangle: Rethinking the CCP's Legitimacy Management in COVID-19 Introduction The Party-State-Society Triangle and Public Health Crisis The Party-State-Society Triangle The Party-State-Society Triangle as an Institutional Cause of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan Safe Until Proven Infectious? The Absence of the Web-Based Reporting System The Party-State-Society Triangle and the CCP's Legitimacy Management in COVID-19 Attribution of Responsibilities, Management of Social Opinions, and Mobilization Against the Virus Human Security as the Master-Signifier in the Legitimation Process Concluding Remarks References 4 Securitizing New Energy Amidst the Global Pandemic: The Chinese State and the Politics of Climate Change Introduction Renewable Energy: Wind and Solar Nuclear Power Electric Vehicles Discussion and Conclusion References 5 The Education for Patriotism in Post-Pandemic China: The CCP’s Approach to “Psychological Insecurity” in Focus Introduction Reconceptualising Human Security in the Chinese Context Contextualising School Education for Human Security Measuring Psychological Insecurity: Sources and the Nationalist Response in China Cultivating Patriotism: the Party Leadership and Security Agenda in Schools The First Lesson: Dispelling Psychological Insecurity and “Mental Contamination” with Patriotism Discussion References 6 Immobility: Surviving the COVID-19 Outbreak Introduction Methodology The Studied Case Data Collection and Analysis Imposed and Self-Motivated Immobility Insecure Mobility Insecure Access to Food and Other Necessities Insecure Access to Social Interactions and Social Activities Physical Abuse and Cyberbullying in the Name of Security Concluding Remarks References 7 Mental Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of Social Media Psychological Responses and Mental Health During COVID-19 Pandemic in China Public Psychological Responses to the COVID-19 Outbreak Vulnerable Populations to the Pandemic’s Psychological Impact The Role of Social Media China’s Social Media Environment and Ecosystem Social Media as a Crucial Source of Information and Misinformation Social Media for Emotional Expression and Social Support Social Media for Mental Health Services Conclusions References 8 Health Security and Public Health Emergency Management in China Health-Security Linkage: Securitization and Public Health Emergency Management A-Securitization: Legal and Institutional Structure Hyper-Securitization: Legal and Institutional Structure Conclusion Bibliography Index