Who’da thunk it?

According to the New York Times (registration required), Chinese protests against Japan this week are less than spontatneous.

 China has tapped a deep strain of nationalism
among its people, gambling, analysts say, that it can propel itself to
a leadership role in Asia while cloaking its move for power in the
guise of wounded pride and popular will.

But the government also seems to have taken steps to control – some say
manipulate – a nascent protest movement to prevent a grass-roots
challenge to the governing Communist Party.

What is surprising is that the NYT has written about the stage management, something it has not always been willing to do with “fear societies.”