I worked in China as a journalist on and off for most of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. I never quite knew what to write about the constant popular protest going on – little uprisings about the place. Did they mean the country was in trouble? They’re still going on today, and I just loved talking to Elizabeth Perry, one of the most amazing Western professors on China, who really put it all in context for me (again, like the previous interview I posted, also choosing five books on the subject):
http://fivebooks.com/interviews/elizabeth-perry-on-popular-protest-china