Challenges to Dissent Inside China

Organizers attempting to foment protests across China on Feb. 20 met with some success; people gathered in disparate locations at the same time, but turnouts were small. China is a difficult place to start any organized dissent. Attempts to begin protests face numerous obstacles, including a cultural fear of chaos, the world's largest security service and Internet police, Beijing's ability to keep most grievances local, and difficulties in communication between exiled dissidents and protest leaders inside China. Ultimately, however, China is an inherently unstable country.