What Were the True Demands of the “Blank Paper” Protests? Not Revolutionary, Mostly Moderate

Abstract

The Blank Paper Protests of 2022 were widely seen as a major act of resistance in China, but this thesis argues they were not a revolutionary movement. Instead, they reflected public frustration with the arbitrary enforcement of Zero-COVID policies rather than a fundamental challenge to state authority. Protesters sought practical policy adjustments rather than systemic political change. This thesis adopts a three-pronged approach: informal conversations with community officials in Wuhan and Shanghai reveal how pandemic enforcement was decentralized to the lowest levels; a self-compiled dataset of 226 protest incidents maps protest patterns and grievances; and 2021 to 2022 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data contextualizes broader public sentiment. Findings show that while dissatisfaction with Zero-COVID measures was widespread, trust in the central government remained intact. The protests dissipated once policies changed, indicating a demand for governance reform rather than regime change. This thesis situates the movement within China’s crisis management strategies, illustrating the limits of public compliance when state narratives diverge from lived experience.