China's Increasing Internet Usage Despite Tight Regulations

|PIC1|Despite the recent protests against companies operating in China for censoring their content, it appears that China is still undergoing change following the recent expansion of Google, Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Yahoo into their domain.

A Professor Guo Liang, of Beijing's Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, recently published results from his in-depth, multi-year study of internet use in China and its impact on Chinese society.

When it came to the internet and politics, Prof Guo found respondents had very strong expectations that the internet would effect positive change in politics in China - more than 60% agreed or "strongly agreed" that high-level officials would "better understand the common people's views through the internet".



‘Dilemma in China’

|PIC2|This comes despite US lawmakers last month accused Microsoft, Yahoo, Cisco Systems and Google of giving into pressure from Beijing and censoring websites in violation of American principles of free speech.

Tom Lantos, Democratic head of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, spoke out last month, saying there had been "a string of disturbing incidents" in which US-based companies had "caved in to Beijing for the sake of profits".

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders also accused Yahoo of providing China with information that helped identify and convict two internet writers.

Li Zhi and Writer Shi Tao, were both jailed for more than eight years, after posting internet comments that criticised official corruption and human rights abuses.

Many internet users now feel that internet is an empowering and democratising force - where free speech should be allowed to remain free.



The World’s Second Largest Internet Population

|QUOTE|It's now expected that the Senior figures from the four internet companies will announce the need for governments to work with them to protect the interests of all internet services when they go before the House International Relations subcommittee on global human rights.

In a joint statement issued last month, Microsoft and Yahoo said that they lacked the leverage on their own to influence world governments. Yahoo spokeswoman Mary Osako told the BBC: "All US and international firms operating in China face the same dilemma of complying with laws that lack transparency and that can have disturbing consequences inconsistent with our own beliefs."

She added: "The choice in China is not whether to comply with law enforcement demands, it is whether to remain in China."

Microsoft founder Bill Gates agreed, saying that the internet "is contributing to Chinese political engagement" as "access to the outside world is preventing more censorship". "I do think information flow is happening in China ... saying that even by existing there, contributions to a national dialogue have taken place. There's no doubt in my mind that's been a huge plus."

The country's internet population - some 111 million, 64 million of whom have broadband - is second in size only to the US. This rapidly expanding online market has become a powerful magnet for foreign investment from around the world.

The row over censorship is proving embarrassing and potentially damaging for companies, who are facing increasing pressure not to conform to Beijing's conditions - the Chinese government enforces strict laws on internet use, blocking content it considers a threat, including references to the Tiananmen Square massacre and notable dissidents.

China denies any unfair regulations.

You can find Prof Guo Liang's full report on the BBC News website by clicking here