From the abstract: "In
light of the Google-China conflict, this article discusses the issue of Internet
sovereignty and, in particular, draws attentions to the various sources of
regime legitimacy that undergird the Chinese government's claim to Internet
sovereignty. By building and promoting state legitimacy in economy,
nationalism, ideology, culture, and governance, Beijing has been arguably
successful in gaining popular compliance and cementing its political rule
despite grassroots challenges. In the foreseeable future, China's Internet
policies will continue to reflect an Internet development and
regulatory model - authoritarian informationalism - that combines elements of
capitalism, authoritarianism, and Confucianism. Engagement with the regime's
cyber policies and its Internet users needs to
recognize not only the demand to tear down the Great Firewall, but also the
larger Chinese populace's aspiration for economic growth, social stability as
well as greater transparency, accountability, and freedom." Read more