[liberationtech] Authoritarian Informationalism: China’s Approach to Internet Sovereignty

[Rebecca MacKinnon]

Min Jiang at University of North Carolina at Charlotte has written a smart
paper for the next issue of SAIS Review of International Affairs.

It can be downloaded here:
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1702128

* Abstract: *
 In light of the Google-China conflict, this article discusses the issue of
Internet sovereignty and, in particular, draws attentions to the various
sources of regime legitimacy that undergird the Chinese government’s claim
to Internet sovereignty. By building and promoting state legitimacy in
economy, nationalism, ideology, culture, and governance, Beijing has been
arguably successful in gaining popular compliance and cementing its
political rule despite grassroots challenges. In the foreseeable future,
China’s Internet policies will continue to reflect an Internet development
and regulatory model – authoritarian informationalism – that combines
elements of capitalism, authoritarianism, and Confucianism. Engagement with
the regime’s cyber policies and its Internet users needs to recognize not
only the demand to tear down the Great Firewall, but also the larger Chinese
populace’s aspiration for economic growth, social stability as well as
greater transparency, accountability, and freedom.

-- 
Rebecca MacKinnon
Schwartz Senior Fellow, New America Foundation
Co-founder, GlobalVoicesOnline.org
Cell: +1-617-939-3493
E-mail: rebecca.mackinnon at gmail.com
Blog: http://RConversation.blogs.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rmack




-- 
Rebecca MacKinnon
Schwartz Senior Fellow, New America Foundation
Co-founder, GlobalVoicesOnline.org
Cell: +1-617-939-3493
E-mail: rebecca.mackinnon at gmail.com
Blog: http://RConversation.blogs.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rmack
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