Web culture with Chinese characteristics 中国特色网络文化

In a speech on April 23, 2007, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for the “glorious development of “Web Culture with Chinese Characteristics”.
The emergence of this new term, which had not hitherto appeared in the Chinese media, marked the coming of age of Hu Jintao’s political vision for the Chinese internet — essentially a commercially vigorous Web kept firmly under party control. The term now subsumes other internet-related buzzwords, like “civilized Web management” (文明办网) and “civilized Web use” (文明上网), which came onto the scene in March 2006.
In his April 23 speech, Hu emphasized that “all units disseminating culture must work hard to raise the ability [of China] to produce online cultural products with a harmonious spirit, which sing for truth, goodness and beauty, and are welcomed by the masses.” “Online cultural units,” said Hu, referring to Websites and other new media platforms, must “spread the civilized (网络文明) Web trend on a large scale, and deepening the movement of civilized creation of the Web and civilized use of the Web (文明办网/文明上网).


David Bandurski

Now director of the CMP, leading the project’s research and partnerships, David joined the team in 2004 after completing his master’s degree at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He is currently an honorary lecturer at the Journalism and Media Studies Centre. He is the author of Dragons in Diamond Village (Penguin/Melville House), a book of reportage about urbanization and social activism in China, and co-editor of Investigative Journalism in China (HKU Press).