Defining the line between center and periphery: the foreign criminal as symbol of sovereignty in contemporary China

Case, Josiah David

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/90595 Copy

Description

Title

Defining the line between center and periphery: the foreign criminal as symbol of sovereignty in contemporary China

Author(s)

Case, Josiah David

Issue Date

2016-04-20

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Martin, Jeffrey T.

Department of Study

E. Asian Languages & Cultures

Discipline

East Asian Studies

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.A.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• China
• Sovereignty

Abstract

"In this paper, I examine the Chinese government's treatment of foreigners within its borders, contrasting the high-profile case of British national Akmal Shaikh with the on-the-ground situation, where foreigners generally receive lenient treatment from the police. I argue that this dichotomy parallels the Mainland government’s position towards Taiwan and Hong Kong, where de jure sovereignty is prioritized over de facto control. In explaining how some foreign criminals like Shaikh are moved from the periphery to the center of the government’s attention, I highlight the potential that such cases provide the Communist Party of China's leadership to assert their power on the global stage and to cement their legitimacy in the eyes of their own populace. Building on work done by Tim Liao and others on China's rhetorical strategies in issues of contested sovereignty, I will show how the Chinese media uses its portrayal of select foreign criminals as political symbols to fuel the government's ""memory project"" regarding China’s relationship with Western countries. By examining how this constructed national memory is related to contemporary issues of crime and diplomacy, we can better understand how Chinese leadership understands and performs sovereignty."

Graduation Semester

2016-05

Type of Resource

text

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Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016 Josiah Case

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