China’s Contested Internet

Edited by Guobin Yang

304 pp., Illustrated, 2015

Is there a pre-Weibo and post-Weibo era in Chinese Internet history? Are hackerspaces in China the same as in the West? How can the censorship of an Internet novel end up “producing” it? How is Lu Xun’s passive and ignorant spectator turned into an activist on the Internet? What are the multiple ways of being political online? Such intriguing questions are the subject of this captivating new book. Its ten chapters combine first-hand research with multi-disciplinary perspectives to offer original insights on the fast-changing landscape of the Chinese Internet. Other topics studied include online political consultation, ethnic identity and racial contestation in cyberspace, and the Southern Weekly protest in 2013. In addition, the editor’s introduction highlights the importance of understanding the depth of people’s experiences and institutional practices with a historical sensibility.

About the Editor

Guobin Yang is Associate Professor of Communication and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication and Department og Sociology. He is the author of The Power of the Internet in China: Citizen Activism Online.