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At first glance, Yongnian Zheng's work seems to be in line with Western mainstream research on China's Internet, that is, research that builds on a democratization paradigm accompanied by a strong interest in censorship measures. Zheng, however, is fully aware of the strongly ideological debate over whether the Internet will "liberate China," as is often stated by the Western popular media, or whether the Chinese Internet will continue to be more and more tightly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). His convincing methodological framework for studying the political impact of the Internet in China enables him to present a much broader perspective on the specific role of the Internet in China, including valuable insights into societal developments and the interaction of the two main actors: state and society.
Zheng's book is divided into seven chapters that offer not only reliable facts and figures but also theoretically well-founded explanations to show how "technological empowerment" through new communication technologies, such as the Internet, could operate in China. Chapter 1, "Politics of Technological Empowerment: Science vs. Democracy," starts by taking a look back at historical developments in China...