BEIJING — Faced with political turmoil at the top, a slowing economy, and a young and wired population restless for change, China’s Communist rulers appear to have dusted off a time-tested tactic: blaming foreigners for the country’s problems.
This time, however, the technique does not seem to be working as well as it used to. Judging from a torrent of online criticism, it may even have backfired.
Graphic content warning: Amateur footage shows a British man, who appears to be inebriated, beaten by several Chinese men after he attempted to assault a young Chinese woman.
In mid-May — as blind legal rights activist Chen Guangcheng was garnering worldwide headlines for his escape from house arrest to the U.S. Embassy and his bid to travel to the United States — Beijing’s Public Security Bureau announced a 100-day crackdown on foreigners staying illegally in the city. Beijing is home to about 120,000 foreigners.
The campaign was announced just days after a May 8 incident, caught on video, in which an apparently inebriated British man attempted to assault a young Chinese woman and was then set upon and beaten by several Chinese men passing by.
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