China's Internet Explosion

A study released last week by the China Internet Network Information Center predicts Chinese Internet activity surpassing that of Americans by the end of the year. This is not surprising in a country with over a billion denizens. What is surprising is the increase in rural Internet activity, up 127% from last year. This begs the question: how much of a problem is the infamous "digital divide" in China? It's tempting to argue this increase in Internet activity will lead to Chinese democracy, but the mere use of the Internet does not mean democracy is imminent, especially with the strict controls China places on its Internet access. One of our readings from Dr. Hua's volume mentions that the popularity of the Internet in China lead to an explosion in nationalism (p. 54).

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