IPCSIPCS SpecialSpecial ReportReport 120 April 2012 IPCS Series on Inside China InternetInternet inin ChinaChina An Emerging Society Alpana Verma China Research Programme InstituteInstitute ofof PeacePeace andand ConflictConflict StudiesStudies B-7/3, Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi 110029 91-11-4100 1900 www.ipcs.org Internet in China: An Emerging Society About the Author © 2012, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies is not responsible for the facts, views or opinion expressed by the author. Alpana Verma The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), established in August 1996, is an independent think tank devoted to research on peace and Ms. Alpana Verma is a Doctoral Candidate at the Centre security from a South Asian for East Asian Studies, University of Delhi , Delhi, India. perspective. She has completed her M.Phil from the Department of East Asian Studies, Delhi University. She has also com- Its aim is to develop a comprehensive pleted her masters from the Department of History, Delhi and alternative framework for peace University with specialization in Medieval Indian History. and security in the region catering to the changing demands of national, Her other IPCS publication includes a commentary on regional and global security. ‘Free Expression on Weibo: An Alternate to Facebook, Twitter?.’ Address: B 7/3 Lower Ground Floor About "Inside China" Series Safdarjung Enclave The China Research Program (CRP) within the Institute, as New Delhi 110029 a part of its activities, undertake research and organise INDIA events under "Inside China," aimed at exploring issues and challanges in contemporary China covering economic as- Tel: 91-11-4100 1900, 4165 2556, pects of China’s growth, political development and emerg- 4165 2557, ing social tensions and fault lines. This essay was a part of 4165 2558, 4165 2559 the first annual conference in 2011. Fax: (91-11) 4165 2560 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ipcs.org IPCS Special Report 120 April 2012 Internet in China An Emerging Society Alpana Verma The ‘Internet’ has been largely accepted as the I most remarkable innovations of the millennium. DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNET IN CHINA Though China came in touch with this technology a little later than the other developed countries, With the introduction of the ‘reform and opening yet today the internet contributes heavily to its up’ during late 1970s, China was set on a new all round growth and development. Though the path of development. The ‘four modernization’, internet was brought into China for economic encompassing the agriculture, industry, defence, purposes, it is gradually emerging out as a means and science and technology, led to the growth of communication. The open public discourse and development of ‘industrialization and occurring on the internet is quiet commendable. informatization’ together. The shift from The increasing role of Information and command economy to market economy of the Communication Technologies (ICTs) in political as reformist policy made the ICTs salient. As one well as social sphere cannot be overlooked. senior government official put it, “We in the These forms of media have broken the shackles government think we missed a lot of the of vertical connection between its suppliers and industrial revolution. And we do not want to miss its users, like in case of print media or electronic this revolution” (Hachigian, 2001, p.122). The media, thus developing a horizontal most significant of these was the ‘863’ communication of networks wherein there are Programme (so called because of its launch in many modulators as well as spectators. March 1986). It aimed at promoting excellence in scientific research and the building of a national The constantly increasing role of the Internet in capacity in high technologies that could compete the Chinese political, social, and economic with the western industrialized countries. sphere makes the study of its impact of great (Xiudian, 2003, p.9) importance. It is influenced by socio-cultural factors, like, cultural identity, State policy and With constant State support and futuristic goals other media. The functioning of the internet as a China was recognized as the country with full true ‘boundary-less space’ has to be functional internet accessibility in 1994. (Jack reconsidered when a Communist country like Linchuan Qiu, 2003, p.1) The year 1995 proved to China is to be examined. The internet is not only be a land mark in the historical development of a political tool but also a social tool. The the internet in China as the internet was opened amalgamations of these factors are constructing for public use. China has injected enormous new trajectories for State-society relationship in sums of money into internet infrastructure China. This research work argues that, in closed construction. From 1997 to 2009 a total of 4.3 regimes like that of China, though the internet is trillion Yuan was invested in this regard, building heavily guarded by the State authorities, yet it is a nationwide optical communication network breaking boundaries of political and social with a total length of 8.267 million km. Of that, decorum, thus giving rise to new phenomenon, 840,000 km was long-distance optical cables. By like the emergence of a networking society. the end of 2009 Chinese basic telecommunications companies had 136 million Internet in China: An Emerging Society broadband internet access ports, and ecommerce/internet-new-billion.htm), reflects international outlet bandwidth was 866,367 that China has taken a lead in the usage of Mbps, with seven land-submarine cables and 20 internet all over the world. land cables, that had a combined capacity exceeding 1,600 Gigabyte. That ensured internet In combining China with other internet using access to 99.3% of Chinese towns and 91.5% of countries like, Brazil, Russia, India and Indonesia villages, and broadband to 96.0% of the towns. In (BRICI countries), there will be 1.2 billion January 2009 the government began to issue netizens in these countries and China is third-generation (3G) licenses to mobile service supposed to have the highest internet suppliers. Today, 3G network covers almost the penetration rate by 2015. This is more than whole country. Along with the swift expansion of three times the number of internet users in the mobile internet, more people will benefit Japan and the United States combined. The rate from this technical advancement. of Internet penetration will be the highest in China by 2015. Moreover the netizens in China The statistics representing the internet users are not only numerous but they are more worldwide are quite impressive and in China’s engaged than any other country. The time spent favour. China surpassed the United States in June online in China is the highest among many major 2008, representing the highest number of internet active countries. The internet is internet users’ worldwide. China has emerged connecting the Chinese netizens with one out as a world player in the internet market and another by promoting discussions on issues of its future holds further good news. Recently a their likes and dislikes. report published from the Boston Consulting Group entitled, ‘The Internet’s New However, the development of the internet in Billion’ (http://www.tamingthebeast.net/blog/ Number of Internet Users 2010-2015E Total Hours Spent Online Per Day, 2006-2015E (Source: http://www.thomascrampton.com/social-media/world-association-newspapers-asia/ trackback/) IPCS Special Report 120, April 2012 China is imbalanced regionally, and between Difference in Internet Penetration between Rural urban and rural areas, resulting in a ‘digital and Urban Areas divide’ . Due to regional disparities and differential economic development, the internet has been developing more rapidly in the eastern than in the western parts of the country, and has a higher penetration rate in cities than in the countryside. These are reflected in the profiles of the internet users, who are mostly located in cities like Beijing, shanghai and Guangdong province. All of these areas are relatively affluent areas in terms of material wealth and show high concentration of institutions of higher learning. By the end of 2009, internet had reached 44 percent of the population in eastern China but (Source: CNNIC Survey Report, 2010) only 15 percent in western China; and urban internet users made 72.2 percent of the national total, leaving the 27.8 percent in rural areas (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/ china/2010-06/08/c/3339232.htm). Across the nation, 70 percent of high schools, more than 60 Court (SPC) published its outline of the third Five- percent of vocational schools, about 40 percent Year Reform of the People’s Courts (2009-2013). of middle schools and 12 percent of primary schools already had internet access (http:// There are a number of sites like news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news- www.china.org.cn, www.chinalawinfo.com, technology/chinas-internet-access-matches-rich- www.spp.gov.cn/falv/default.htm etc., which world-20100820-138i8.html.) As digital literacy impart official information. But after the and economic well-being are entwined, incoming of the internet technology, immense technological inequalities will be on a rise. official information is made available to the public. The official rationing of the information II has been abandoned to a large extent. USES OF THE INTERNET One of the most important internet usage made The usages of ICTs are in diverse fields including by the State is for propaganda dispersion. The political, economic, social, military and scientific, cyberspace provides a lucrative opportunity to to name a few. But here we must restrict the State to spread national rejuvenation, ourselves to the uses of the internet made by the though in limits. The Chinese cyberspace is people and also how the State uses it to read the emerging out as a cultural sphere to which most sentiments of the people.