How Firm Is The Grasp Of China's Government?

06:08

August 17, 2015

Residents, whose homes were destroyed in the explosion at a chemical warehouse last week, protest outside the hotel where authorities are holding a press conference in Tianjin on August 17, 2015. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

The death toll continues to climb in Tianjin, China, following last week's factory explosions, in which more than a hundred people were reported dead and thousands displaced. Residents have been protesting, demanding information about the fate of loved ones and their own safety, and compensation for damages.

The government has removed online reporting that criticizes authorities over the handling of the incident. But there's no escaping that the Chinese government has been under fire lately over a variety of economic and political moves.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson is joined by Boston University professor Jospeh Fewsmith to discuss the state of the Xi Jinping government.

Guest

Joseph Fewsmith, is a professor at Boston University and author of several books about China, including Elite Politics in Contemporary China.

This segment aired on August 17, 2015.