New Media and Civil Society in China: A Roundtable Discussion on the Political Impact of the Internet

In this roundtable discussion, participants will present their observations and share their experiences relating to the rise of the Internet, and its interplay with China's media, society and politics. What is the state of new media in China? How do members of Chinese society employ these technologies to participate in politics and what it is the real impact? How does the Chinese government actually regulate and control the Internet? What role does the rise of Chinese cyber-nationalism play in this complicated process? Ultimately, will this pervasive, many-to-many, and emergent communication platform play a critical role in transforming the Chinese political system by fostering the nascent civil society? — or has it actually enabled China's authoritarian regime to forestall political reform by turning it into a safety valve or even an Orwellian monster? The panel will seek to stimulate discussion and elicit meaningful dialogue on these key questions.