Stephen Noakes, The Advocacy Trap: Transnational Activism and State Power in China

Excerpt

At a time of increasing populist sentiments permeating politics and society, manifesting in issues such as the nature of borders and human mobility, or the validity of climate change science, we are forced to re-assess the utility, as well as, the importance of transnational civil society in counteracting the tendency to look inwards. Moreover, multilateral cooperation has been shaken by U.S. withdrawal from the global climate change accord to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Without the leadership of the U.S., what becomes of cross-border issues that are of transnational concern? Is China a potential leader to fill the void left by the U.S. under Trump’s administration? The answer, as we might expect is not so straightforward. The Advocacy Trap: Transnational Activism and State Power in China by Stephen Noakes compare different case studies to demonstrate the role and leadership of both the Chinese state and civil society stakeholders on matters of both domestic and global significance. Two meta questions drives Noakes’ research: What does the increasing prominence of China mean for transnational civil society? And, why are some campaigns more successful than others? …