Revisiting China’s State-Society Relations against the Backdrop of Jasmine Revolution: Perspectives from Both Civil and Party: State Oriented Wei-Quan in Internet Politics
The Jasmine revolution resulting from North Africa and the Middle East has triggered a new wave of scholarly debates on the roles of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in contributing the democratic development and changes in authoritarian states. Against this backdrop, this article studies the political development and democratization of China, with the aim to enhance a higher level of understanding of ICT’s impact and influence on China’s politics. Considering the politics of the so-called wei-quan (rights protection) movements waged by both Netizens and the party-state, this article argues that the ICT has indeed facilitated the emergence of civil society in China, making the democratic transitions in the PRC possible in the age of new media.