US Midterms and Other News in China

In the run-up to the midterm elections in the US, New Yorker writer Evan Osnos wrote a piece entitled A Chinese View of the Midterms, in which he states:

But dig into the Chinese view of this election and you'll find that all of this blather has been refracted in some telling ways. Take "The Chinese Professor," the political ad produced for the Citizens Against Government Waste, that depicts a Chinese lecturer, twenty years in the future, cackling over the red-white-and-blue and crowing, "now they work for us." This might seem like prime red meat for China's "angry youth,"—and, indeed, it has attracted its share of predictable comments in that spirit...

While this advertisement has generated some attention, the election overall is not something that weighs heavily on the Chinese mindset.  Apart from producing an interesting video, it is simply an obscure election far away.  However, below I have highlighted some events that have been prominent in China recently.  

-Xi Jinping's ascent to the vice-chairmanship of the influential Central Military Commission, which effectively solidified his bid to be China's next president.  This announcement came with little of the celebration that comes with say, an American election.  The American electoral system, and most open ones for that matter, is one that allows for and encourages outsiders offering dramatic calls for change.  In China, however, as there are no real political outsiders in politics, the aim is continuity and stability.  In addition, given its history with demagogues, China's government is wary of iconic and charismatic leaders, and has a tendency to pick rather unexciting leaders.  As a result, Xi's appointment was met with mostly tacit acknowledgement.

-An explosion in Dong zhi men (east side of Beijing).  Dong zhi men lies on the northeast corner of the 2nd ring road, and is a major transport hub, as well as being in close proximity to numerous high rises, skyscrapers, and to the state-owned PetroChina's imposing headquarters.  One late October afternoon, a loud noise was heard throughout the area.  Reports came filtering in about a possible explosion in the subway, or in nearby buildings.  Other reported witnessing neither smoke nor fire.  Right as these reports started to emerge, they were quickly shut down. Now, news reports have stopped and searches for "Dong zhi men explosion" among Baidu forums are blocked.  Whether this is an instance of a broken pipe, a bomb or possibly one of the few but growing instances of gun violence is unclear, but without a doubt the reaction is one of a government concerned with the image and stigma of violent unrest.   

-Tensions in the Sino-Japanese relations. The imprisonment of a Chinese fishing boat captain on the Diaoyu Islands, or Senkaku Islands, depending on  your politics, led to the resurfacing of long standing tensions over the territorial ownership of small islands in the East China Sea.  Aside from sparking diplomatic tensions, this event has caused protests in both countries, and, without a doubt, hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.