1,721,000 research outputs found
Reading the Chinese Metaverse through the Past
No full textThe Metaverse has emerged as a significant topic of discussion globally, including in China, where it is intertwined with national narratives of technological advancement and geopolitical positioning. This study examines the Chinese Metaverse through the lens of historical, geopolitical, and cultural narratives, particularly focusing on the role of the prominent Chinese scientist Qian Xuesen (钱学森). The research deconstructs the neo-techno-nationalist discourse surrounding the Metaverse in China, demonstrating how it supports the country’s shift from a ‘great country’ to a ‘powerful country’ amidst the US-China tech and trade war. By analysing Qian Xuesen’s letters and the initiatives by the China Mobile Communication Association Metaverse Industry Committee (cmca-mcc), the study explores how historical figures are leveraged to foster digital nationalism and patriotism. This study also suggests that Qian’s writings on virtual reality from the 1990s have been instrumentalised to support the current Metaverse narrative today. Finally, this article contributes to understanding the historical and cultural dimensions of the Chinese Metaverse, offering insights into how past scientific achievements are utilised to shape the prc’s future technological landscapes, national identity and international ambitions
A history of Chinese Global Internet Governance and its relations with ITU and ICANN
No full textThe Chinese contribution to global Internet governance debate has been studied mainly by focusing on the governmental perspective. This study was aimed to provide a broader view by analyzing the participation of Chinese academics and civil society in two of the most important Internet governance international organizations: the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Based on historical material and in-depth interviews conducted in Geneva and Beijing, the findings show the evolution of Chinese Internet governance at the global level and suggest the following: first, the Chinese agents in the global debate on Internet governance support a multi-stakeholder perspective; second, although seldom engaged in the decision-making process, the Chinese agents involved in the global governance identify ITU as the more credible international organization in coordinating global governance; third, the Chinese agents have an ambivalent approach to Chinese participation both in ITU and ICANN. Finally, the findings of the study reported in this article contest the understanding that Chinese Internet governance is isolationist in nature
A Historical Perspective on the Chinese Information Society and Internet Governance
No full textThe Chinese contribution to global Internet governance debate has been studied mainly by focusing on the governmental perspective. This study was aimed to provide a broader view by analyzing the participation of Chinese academics and civil society in two of the most important Internet governance international organizations: the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Based on historical material and in-depth interviews conducted in Geneva and Beijing, the findings show the evolution of Chinese Internet governance at the global level and suggest the following: first, the Chinese agents in the global debate on Internet governance support a multi-stakeholder perspective; second, although seldom engaged in the decision-making process, the Chinese agents involved in the global governance identify ITU as the more credible international organization in coordinating global governance; third, the Chinese agents have an ambivalent approach to Chinese participation both in ITU and ICANN. Finally, the findings of the study reported in this article contest the understanding that Chinese Internet governance is isolationist in nature
China’s perspective on Internet governance: a more integrated role in the global discussion?
No full textBased on political and historical sources and on the analysis of Chinese presence within international organizations, this article aims at showing the evolution of the Chinese Internet governance model. Namely, this study highlights the Chinese shift from a status of a norm taker to that of a norm maker. This research argues that China began to be engaged in the global governance discussion of the Internet from the first years of its Internet history. Because of its historical relations with China and its impact on domestic Chinese Internet history, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was considered the ideal international organization to govern the global Internet. The present article confirms this through the analysis of Mr. Zhao Houlin's strategies before and after his election as Secretary General of the ITU. Finally, in line with the rationale of the present special issue, this research argues that the Chinese role in the global Internet governance debate does not reverse its status quo of the global Internet governance. Whereas, given China's engagement in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), engagement suggests a collaborative attitude
The Internet in China: From infrastructure to a nascent civil society
No full textThis book aims to identify the most important political, socio-economic, and technical determinants of Internet development in China, through a historical approach that combines political economy, cultural, and public studies. Firstly, the book looks at the most important strategies that compelled the Chinese government to invest in the construction of the Internet infrastructure. Secondly, it examines the relationships between the development of the Internet in China and the emergence of a nascent civil society. Finally, attention is given to three different Chinese online platforms in three different historical periods. This three-pronged approach presents a coherent set of analyses and case studies which are committed to the investigation of the complex process of change undergone by Internet development in China
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