International Journal of Communications Law & Policy

VIRTUAL CENSORSHIP IN CHINA
Keeping the Gate Between the Cyberspaces
By Jack Linchuan Qiu

Download the Paper in PDF Format: IJCLP Web-Doc 1-4-2000

Abstract

How does China control online political communication (OPC)? What are the features of China's Internet regulation, the structure of its regulatory body and patterns of policy implementation? What are the implications of these regulatory efforts? This paper explores these questions. The major argument is that, instead of paralyzing traditional authorities, the diffusion of Internet in Mainland China is accompanied by the growth of "virtual censorship" imposed by the authoritarian government upon nonofficial OPC. Boundaries emerge between "China's cyberspace" and "foreign cyberspaces", between apolitical discussions and OPC, as the result of various legislative, technological and administrative constraints. Document analysis, participant observation and interviews are conducted to examine the regulations and their actual implementation. China's control over OPC is contrasted with its manipulation of the mass media to see its distinct characteristics. The conclusion is that virtual censorship is a new mode of media control that leads to limited transformation of traditional institutions manipulating political communication in China. Broader implications are also discussed and appeals made for more empirical and comparative work concerning the subject matter.