China and the Egyptian Uprising

2/10/2011 -

The question has been asked, "If Egypt was the next Tunisia, is China the next Egypt?" Charter Members Eric Olander and Michael McCune, editors of China Talking Points podcasts, have just discussed this very topic.

 There seem to be glaring similarities between the situations in Egypt and China preceeding the 1989 Tiananmen protest: a corrupt central government, high unemployment and underemployment, and a stale economy.  But these are superficial at best, says Olander. The one thing Egypt and China have in abundance is extremely high underemployment, especially in educated young people. In general, however, China's population favors president Hu Jintao and are more acclimated to media censorship. Olander wonders though, if shelter from global news and events will eventually create a deficit in China's increasingly globalized society. Stay tuned for the next edition of China Talking Points, where McCune and Olander will discuss this very issue, how media censorship is both positive and negative for China's global engagement.


Listen to the full podcast.




Eric Olander is the Digital Platforms Editor at France 24 studio, and the co-founder/co-editor of China Talking Points podcast series. See more at his profile.

Michael McCune is Executive Vice President at Transpacific Brands, focused on brand licensing opportunities between Asian and North American markets. See more at his profile.