The Gen Z movement that started off as a reaction to Nepal’s draconian social media ban and ended with the government being upended is making China’s regime nervous that something similar in their country might be brewing. Signs of Gen Z disenfranchisement with the CCP are everywhere. One anonymous social media post pointed out “The protests are no longer simply a fight for internet freedom, but a deeper generational awakening. Young people are not satisfied with merely restoring social media, but are demanding transparency, accountability, and real political reform.”
For the most part, Beijing’s response has been seemingly intentionally tone-deaf, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responding to the overthrow said that his government “expressed hope that all parties in Nepal can properly address domestic issues, and restore social order and national stability as soon as possible.”
China Reacts to Nepal Protest Movement– chinadigitaltimes.net
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Excerpt:
The “Gen Z” protest movement that toppled Nepal’s government last week has sent shockwaves around the region. Fueled by longstanding grievances over government corruption and social inequality, Nepalese youth took to the streets on Monday, September 8 to protest a government ban on 26 social media apps (including WhatsApp, Signal, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Reddit, WeChat, and others). Amid escalating clashes, security forces shot and killed 19 protesters. Mass outrage ensued. By Tuesday, numerous government buildings had been set ablaze and the prime minister and four other ministers had resigned.
On Chinese social media, prominent nationalist accounts argued that the U.S. was behind the protests, while others pushed back against these claims. One WeChat article, later censored, described the source of youth discontent: “The protests are no longer simply a fight for ‘internet freedom,’ but a deeper generational awakening. Young people are not satisfied with merely restoring social media, but are demanding transparency, accountability, and real political reform.” Another article, published by “Global Citizen Jin Jianguo” on Baidu’s Baijiahao platform, dismissed claims that the unrest was a “color revolution” incited by foreign forces. The author argued instead that resistance is instinctive and a natural product of social injustice:
Conversely, if we subscribe to the “color revolution” narrative, history becomes untenable. [It implies that] the Wuchang Uprising, the Xinhai Revolution, the May Fourth Movement, and even the national independence movement that swept the globe after World War II were nothing more than upheavals fomented by “foreign forces.” No longer is world history a story of war, politics, economics, or culture, but a litany of incitement.
An overview of mass movements, both in China and abroad, reveals that all have their own internal logic. While sometimes influenced by external ideas and forces, all spring from an accumulation of discontent and damaged interests. This is true in the U.K., Poland, the Arab world, and even Nepal.
In other words, you can’t just chalk up mass movements in Asian countries to incitement, while claiming that similar movements in Western countries represent “the People’s choice.” Are all Asians puppets, while only Westerners are considered intelligent citizens?
Admit it: people will always be willing to fight for their own interests. It’s basic human instinct, and doesn’t require anyone to “incite” them—unless of course, they don’t consider themselves human. [Chinese]
