China and the Internet

China and the Internet The worldwide network of computers known as the Internet poses an interesting dilemma to the government of China. The widespread and cheap access to unrestricted information that the Internet offers could pose a serious threat to the authoritarian government of China. In contrast, the benefits to business and efficiency that the Internet can bring are too great to be ignored, especially as China makes an entrance into the World Trade Organization …

…Without completely prohibiting Internet access, which the government has already acknowledged is crucial to Chinese development, the battle to control access to content appears to be a losing one. As China’s technical infrastructure continues to grow and methods of accessing the Internet through cell phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants become cheaper and more widely distributed, the fight to contain or restrict access will escalate out of governmental control. Technology and change will prevail.