The Politics of China’s Wei-Quan Movement in the Internet Age

The political use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) has emerged in a diverse and vibrant manner in the information age. Traditionally, the practices and governing logic of the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) has been less accommodating to the needs of civic engagement in public affairs. This has resulted in a general denial of public's right to know, right to participate, right to freedom of speech, and the right to hold the government to account. The upsurge of mass protest in China has, in this regard, become one of the most unintended political consequences of economic reform for the Communist leaders for past three decades. Whereas many of these popular incidents are spontaneous, loosely organized, and eventually short-lived, the remaining indicate, at least some coordination of action/movement. Empowered by modern ICTs, many rightsdefence activists are capable of waging mass incidents and civic protests in modern-day China and pose a greater sociopolitical threat to the stability of the central government and the Chinese Communist regime as a whole. Indeed, the Chinese public has awakened not only to defend and assert their protected civil and legal rights stipulated in the PRC's Constitution, they are likely to challenge the existing legal and government systems provided their claims and assertions are not met.