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Netizens change China's political landscape
Source: Xinhua |
March 3, 2009, Tuesday
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LISTENING to online voices is increasingly important for Chinese officials, as demonstrated by Premier Wen Jiabao's online chat with Netizens over the weekend.
Observers say that the chat on Saturday reflects the top leadership's will to promote "Internet democracy."
"Chinese officials and scholars are obliged to take note of online views because this keeps them informed of the social situation," said Yu Guoming, vice president of the Media College of Beijing-based Renmin University of China.
"Online opinions have become an indispensable part of public voices," he said.
"Reading piles of documents, listening to work reports and going among the public" might not be such an effective way for officials to gauge society in the information age, Yu said.
According to the China Internet Network Information Center, an increasing number of Chinese choose cyberspace to express their opinions.
China's Internet population is the world's largest.
As of January, there were more than 300 million Chinese, or 23.8 percent of the population, who had access to the Internet. That's up 40 percent year on year. The figure increases monthly by nearly 8 million.
Social and political activity on the Internet last year received unprecedented media coverage and public attention.
In June, President Hu visited Qiangguo Forum, a virtual forum of the People's Daily. He chatted with the public for four minutes and said he got to learn of people's concerns through Netizens.
In April, 26 active Netizens from southern Guangdong Province were invited to talk face-to-face with Wang Yang, the provincial Party chief. They were allowed to freely express their views on the province's development.
"The Internet has increased public participation in political and social affairs and promoted socialist democracy," said Wang, who is known for his creative and bold reform ideas.
Meanwhile, Internet vigilantes, known as "human flesh search engines," tracked government officials alleged to have committed crimes or abused their office. They included the deputy head of Shenzhen's marine affairs bureau, who allegedly tried to molest a teenage girl, and the director of a Nanjing district property bureau, who misused public funds to buy luxuries.
Netizens were invited by the local government to investigate a controversial death of an inmate who allegedly died during a game of "blind man's bluff" in a detention house in Yunnan Province.
Moreover, three people in central Henan Province, who represent a local Netizen association, made headlines last month by becoming lawmakers and political advisers.
Analysts said this was an unprecedented sign of Netizens stepping out of virtual space into the real world's political arena.
With this year's top legislature and advisory body's annual sessions around the corner, some lawmakers and advisers have used blogs or online forums to collect opinion and gain public support for their bills or proposals.
Similarly, the Internet has become a major channel for the government to solicit public opinion for draft laws, regulations and national policies.
Netizens were invited last month to offer suggestions on guidelines for a national educational program. Last October, the State Council solicited online opinions for the medical reform program.
Media expert Yu from Renmin University said the Internet "offered the most convenient vent for voices of common people, without any editing."
"Conventional media usually convey only one kind of view but the Internet allows dissenting views as long as they are in line with laws," he said.
Observers say that the chat on Saturday reflects the top leadership's will to promote "Internet democracy."
"Chinese officials and scholars are obliged to take note of online views because this keeps them informed of the social situation," said Yu Guoming, vice president of the Media College of Beijing-based Renmin University of China.
"Online opinions have become an indispensable part of public voices," he said.
"Reading piles of documents, listening to work reports and going among the public" might not be such an effective way for officials to gauge society in the information age, Yu said.
According to the China Internet Network Information Center, an increasing number of Chinese choose cyberspace to express their opinions.
China's Internet population is the world's largest.
As of January, there were more than 300 million Chinese, or 23.8 percent of the population, who had access to the Internet. That's up 40 percent year on year. The figure increases monthly by nearly 8 million.
Social and political activity on the Internet last year received unprecedented media coverage and public attention.
In June, President Hu visited Qiangguo Forum, a virtual forum of the People's Daily. He chatted with the public for four minutes and said he got to learn of people's concerns through Netizens.
In April, 26 active Netizens from southern Guangdong Province were invited to talk face-to-face with Wang Yang, the provincial Party chief. They were allowed to freely express their views on the province's development.
"The Internet has increased public participation in political and social affairs and promoted socialist democracy," said Wang, who is known for his creative and bold reform ideas.
Meanwhile, Internet vigilantes, known as "human flesh search engines," tracked government officials alleged to have committed crimes or abused their office. They included the deputy head of Shenzhen's marine affairs bureau, who allegedly tried to molest a teenage girl, and the director of a Nanjing district property bureau, who misused public funds to buy luxuries.
Netizens were invited by the local government to investigate a controversial death of an inmate who allegedly died during a game of "blind man's bluff" in a detention house in Yunnan Province.
Moreover, three people in central Henan Province, who represent a local Netizen association, made headlines last month by becoming lawmakers and political advisers.
Analysts said this was an unprecedented sign of Netizens stepping out of virtual space into the real world's political arena.
With this year's top legislature and advisory body's annual sessions around the corner, some lawmakers and advisers have used blogs or online forums to collect opinion and gain public support for their bills or proposals.
Similarly, the Internet has become a major channel for the government to solicit public opinion for draft laws, regulations and national policies.
Netizens were invited last month to offer suggestions on guidelines for a national educational program. Last October, the State Council solicited online opinions for the medical reform program.
Media expert Yu from Renmin University said the Internet "offered the most convenient vent for voices of common people, without any editing."
"Conventional media usually convey only one kind of view but the Internet allows dissenting views as long as they are in line with laws," he said.
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