Internet Freedom in China? Kidding, right?

Though 85% of Chinese are happy with, and trust, their government, that still leaves 200,000,000  who are unhappy. They populate Weibo's most virulent discussion boards and play a role in keeping the (especially local) government honest. Here's the latest update on that. For more, see this post

Zhu Huaxin (祝华新), the secretary general of People's Daily's Public Opinion Monitoring Unit, writes in Caixin that The Internet is Vital to Future Reforms (我劝天公重抖擞——从网络舆论场寄语十八大):

This second generation of rural migrants longs to truly assimilate into urban life, but they are being shut out, leaving them to feel trapped between the city and the countryside. Their increasing struggle to get by in the cities only serves to intensify the sense that they have been deprived of their rights. Their rootless social status has made them more susceptible to a desire to overthrow the existing social order. Crucially they know how to use the Internet to release the frustration of their daily lives and to voice their demands...

One thing is clear: maintaining the vitality of the Internet is a prerequisite to future reforms. As Net users themselves have put it, despite all the problems the last ten years have brought, the major contribution of the current government has been to allow the opening up of the Internet as a platform that has allowed different social groups a way to voice their concerns and defend their views. The Internet is helping to invigorate and energize Chinese society just as it goes through a crucial transformation period.