By now the story is an old one. China’s Internet is fettered. Content is censored. Google, Facebook, and YouTube are blocked, and the Great Firewall has largely severed the population from the rest of the online world. Unlike their counterparts in the West and elsewhere in Asia, the Chinese are forced to tolerate a cyber universe that is secondary and hopelessly backward. Even before setting foot in the Middle Kingdom, first-time visitors are long cognizant of the online restrictions they face; the news media has been relentless in covering the topic.
But another narrative is largely being overlooked: the Chinese web, despite all its flaws, is charging forward in an innovative and breathtaking manner and leaving its Western counterpart in the dust. The action is centered around mobile and e-commerce and lead by Internet barons Alibaba and Tencent, in particular the latter’s social messaging app WeChat. Read more
But another narrative is largely being overlooked: the Chinese web, despite all its flaws, is charging forward in an innovative and breathtaking manner and leaving its Western counterpart in the dust. The action is centered around mobile and e-commerce and lead by Internet barons Alibaba and Tencent, in particular the latter’s social messaging app WeChat. Read more
