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Milton L. Mueller
to be authoritarianism on this scale, how can it not be networked? Still, China ’ s online
economy and innovative capacity is certainly stunted by these self-limiting applications of ICTs. While China ’ s huge domestic economy makes the growth of major
Internet companies inevitable, it is hard to imagine major service innovations or globally competitive online service providers emerging from this environment.
The oscillation between progress and control appears regularly across a number of
different economic sectors, including China ’ s approach to telecommunications sector
reform.
30 In sum, the experience of China and the Internet is the latest episode in the
familiar tale of Chinese reform, which recalls the parable of the man who caught a
tiger by the tail. As the tiger gallops and struggles along, the man fi nds it more and
more demanding to maintain his grip. But if he lets go, the tiger will surely turn and
destroy him. Unlike the man in the parable, the CCP is, to some extent, strengthened
by the tiger ’ s energy — but the tiger keeps getting bigger and bigger. How long this
cycle can go on is diffi cult to know. For those who seek transformation of communist
China the trick is to conceptualize how this self-reinforcing cycle works and how it
might break down. One thing seems certain: for other governments, especially the
United States, neither external intervention nor subversion directed from outside is
likely to work. The CCP thrives on exploitation of nationalism and by positioning
itself as the people ’ s defender against the humiliations and dominations of foreigners.
If anything can make the tiger and the man hanging onto its tail work together in
harmony it would be that process.
Notes
1. China Network Information Center, “ Internet Fundamental Data, ” June 30, 2010, http://www
.cnnic.cn/en/index/0O/index.htm , accessed January 5, 2011.
2. Ibid.; U.S. CIA, The World Factbook , https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
geos/ch.html .
3. Milton Mueller, Networks and States: The Global Politics of Internet Governance (Cambridge, MA:
MIT Press, 2010).
4. Information Offi ce of the State Council of the People ’ s Republic of China, chapter 5,
“ The Internet in China, ” June 8, 2010, http://www.gov.cn/english/2010-06/08/content_1622956
.htm.
5. Ibid.
6. Information Offi ce of the State Council of the People ’ s Republic of China, chapter 6, “ The
Internet in China. ”
7. Wang Chen, “ Development and Administration of Our Country ’ s Internet, ” delivered on April
29, 2010, before the Standing Committee of the National People ’ s Congress. Unoffi cial English
translation is available at http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/article?revision%5fi d=175119
& item%5fi d=175084 .
Milton L. Mueller
to be authoritarianism on this scale, how can it not be networked? Still, China ’ s online
economy and innovative capacity is certainly stunted by these self-limiting applications of ICTs. While China ’ s huge domestic economy makes the growth of major
Internet companies inevitable, it is hard to imagine major service innovations or globally competitive online service providers emerging from this environment.
The oscillation between progress and control appears regularly across a number of
different economic sectors, including China ’ s approach to telecommunications sector
reform.
30 In sum, the experience of China and the Internet is the latest episode in the
familiar tale of Chinese reform, which recalls the parable of the man who caught a
tiger by the tail. As the tiger gallops and struggles along, the man fi nds it more and
more demanding to maintain his grip. But if he lets go, the tiger will surely turn and
destroy him. Unlike the man in the parable, the CCP is, to some extent, strengthened
by the tiger ’ s energy — but the tiger keeps getting bigger and bigger. How long this
cycle can go on is diffi cult to know. For those who seek transformation of communist
China the trick is to conceptualize how this self-reinforcing cycle works and how it
might break down. One thing seems certain: for other governments, especially the
United States, neither external intervention nor subversion directed from outside is
likely to work. The CCP thrives on exploitation of nationalism and by positioning
itself as the people ’ s defender against the humiliations and dominations of foreigners.
If anything can make the tiger and the man hanging onto its tail work together in
harmony it would be that process.
Notes
1. China Network Information Center, “ Internet Fundamental Data, ” June 30, 2010, http://www
.cnnic.cn/en/index/0O/index.htm , accessed January 5, 2011.
2. Ibid.; U.S. CIA, The World Factbook , https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
geos/ch.html .
3. Milton Mueller, Networks and States: The Global Politics of Internet Governance (Cambridge, MA:
MIT Press, 2010).
4. Information Offi ce of the State Council of the People ’ s Republic of China, chapter 5,
“ The Internet in China, ” June 8, 2010, http://www.gov.cn/english/2010-06/08/content_1622956
.htm.
5. Ibid.
6. Information Offi ce of the State Council of the People ’ s Republic of China, chapter 6, “ The
Internet in China. ”
7. Wang Chen, “ Development and Administration of Our Country ’ s Internet, ” delivered on April
29, 2010, before the Standing Committee of the National People ’ s Congress. Unoffi cial English
translation is available at http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/article?revision%5fi d=175119
& item%5fi d=175084 .