On 19 March 2025, the Department of International Relations at LSE hosted a public lecture titled Atomized Incorporation: Chinese Workers and the Aftermath of China’s Rise. The event featured guest speaker Dr Sungmin Rho, Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva. The discussion was chaired by Dr Natalia Naqvi, Assistant Professor of International Political Economy at LSE, with contributions from Dr Boram Lee, Assistant Professor of International Political Economy at LSE, and Ruofan Ma, PhD candidate in the Department of Government at Harvard University.
L to R: Natalya Naqvi (Chair), Sungmin Rho, Ruofan Ma, and Boram Lee
Dr Sungmin Rho presented her latest book project, which examines the perceptions, beliefs and protest behaviours of Chinese internal migrant workers. Based on extensive surveys with 618 factory workers over two years of fieldwork, she situates her findings within broader structural changes in China, examining the political and socioeconomic implications of labour protests.
While some protests achieved limited success, the Chinese government strategically managed these incidents to prevent them from escalating into political movements.
Labour protests in China have historically been tolerated as long as they remain within factory premises and focus on economic grievances rather than political demands. Examples include the 2010 Honda strike and a large-scale protest in Dongguan. While some protests achieved limited success, the Chinese government strategically managed these incidents to prevent them from escalating into political movements.
Unlike traditional corporatist models where workers negotiate through unions, atomized incorporation allows individual workers or small groups to make claims without forming organised movements.
Dr Rho introduced the concept of atomized incorporation, a strategy emerged in the early 2000s to manage labour discontent as the government transitioned away from coercion and exclusion towards limited accommodation. Unlike traditional corporatist models where workers negotiate through unions, atomized incorporation allows individual workers or small groups to make claims without forming organised movements. This approach brings formerly excluded groups into policymaking process and accommodates certain demands, primarily through legal channels, while preventing large-scale collective action.
Dr Rho found that general production workers held more discontent towards the central government than many predicted. She also noted that workers in foreign-owned or law-abiding firms were more likely to protest as these firms were more exposed to reputational risks. Workers’ demands sometimes intersected with nationalist sentiments, targeting firms’ foreign identities. Conversely, workers in poorly regulated firms often choose to leave rather than resorting to protests. This has left the most aggrieved workers lacking the resources and networks to organise effectively.
Dr Rho found that general production workers held more discontent towards the central government than many predicted.
Ruofan Ma reviewed the book, noting that state-labour relations could take a more repressive turn under Xi Jinping and highlighting the absence of labour-led regime changes since South Korea and Niger’s democratic transitions.
Dr Boram Lee situated the discussion within international political economy, highlighting how China’s shift towards industrial upgrading has had distributional consequences. Dr Lee questioned whether the government would continue accommodating low-skilled workers and how growing numbers of high-skilled tech workers might complicate cross-class alliances.
Dr Rho concluded by reflecting on her ongoing research into passive and non-protest forms of worker resistance, including the lying flat movement, where young workers disengage from labour markets rather than seeking upward mobility.
Dr Rho concluded by reflecting on her ongoing research into passive and non-protest forms of worker resistance, including the lying flat movement, where young workers disengage from labour markets rather than seeking upward mobility. The event provided valuable insights into how China strategically balances economic transformation, worker demands, and political control.
Event report by Olivia Chen
BSc Politics and International Relations
LinkedIn: olivia-zhuo-chen
Instagram: @oliviazhuochen
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This article represents the views of the author, and not the position of the Department of International Relations, nor of the London School of Economics.
