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<em>The Internet in China examines the cultural and political ramifications of the Internet for Chinese society. The rapid growth of the Internet has been enthusiastically embraced by the Chinese government, but the government has also rushed to seize control of the virtual environment. Individuals have responded with impassioned campaigns against official control of information. The emergence of a civil society via cyberspace has had profound effects upon China—for example, in 2003, based on an Internet campaign, the Chinese Supreme People's Court overturned the ruling of a local court for the first time since the Communist Party came to power in 1949. The important question this book asks is not whether the Internet will democratize China, but rather in what ways the Internet is democratizing communication in China. How is the Internet empowering individuals by fostering new types of social spaces and redefining existing social relations?
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The Internet in China Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture is dedicated to furthering original research in new media and cyberculture studies. International in scope, the series places an emphasis on cutting edge scholarship and interdisciplinary methodology. Topics explored in the series will include comparative and cultural studies of video games, blogs, online communities, digital music, new media art, cyberactivism, open source, mobile communications technologies, new information technologies, and the myriad intersections of race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, class, and sexuality with cyberculture. Series Titles Cyberpop: D igital Lifestyles and Commodity Culture Sidney Eve Matrix, University of Winnipeg The Internet in China: Cyberspace and Civil Society Zixue Tai, Southern Illinois University Forthcoming Titles Racing Cyberculture: Minoritarian Internet Art Chris McGahan, Yeshiva University Virtual English: Internet Use, Language, and Global Subjects Jillana Enteen, Northwestern University RT76553.indb 2 8/4/06 2:41:51 PM The Internet in China Cyberspace and Civil Society Zixue Tai New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97655‑3 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97655‑8 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tai, Zixue. The Internet in China : cyberspace and civil society / Zixue Tai. p. cm. ‑‑ (Routledge studies in new media and cyberculture) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97655‑3 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Internet‑‑Social aspects‑‑China. 2. Internet‑‑Political aspects‑‑China. 3. Civil society‑‑China. 4. Information policy‑‑China. I. Title. HM851.T35 2006 303.48’330951‑‑dc22 2006023496 Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the Routledge Web site at http://www.routle