Politics of the Internet in the People’s Republic of China: Unveiling users’ experiences

Abstract

The work explores internet governance in China, via a review of the most recent literature, and through a sociological analysis of users’ narratives. For this investigation, relevant scholarships were retrieved from Google Scholar (GS). The criteria for inclusion encompassed articles, conferences’ proceedings, and books’ chapters. To disclose subjective experiences, 12 Chinese nationals studying in 3 Thai universities were interviewed in depth. All members of the cohort had English language competence, but they were heterogenous in terms of background. The interviews were semi-structured, and they occurred at places selected by the target population. Due to privacy concerns, names were modified in reports. Findings suggest that attitudes towards information technology (IT), are controversial. On the one hand, interviewees recognize the cyberspace as a vector of growth, and freedom. On the other hand, they evaluate possible risks that may threaten stability. Suggested recommendations are the promotion of adequate administrative protection of citizens’ interests against arbitrary executive power, and the creation of anonymous fora for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance.