DATE=7/1/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43787
TITLE=CHINA/INTERNET
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: INTERNET USAGE IS RAPIDLY GROWING IN CHINA AND WITH MORE
THAN A BILLION PEOPLE, THE COUNTRY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME
THE WORLD'S LARGEST INTERNET MARKET. BUT AS INTERNET ACCESS
INCREASES, BEIJING IS FINDING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO RESTRICT
ACCESS TO WEB SITES IT WOULD RATHER THE CHINESE PEOPLE NOT SEE.
CORRESPONDENT NICK SIMEONE IN WASHINGTON HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO
THE STATUS OF CYBERSPACE IN CHINA.
TEXT: ESTIMATES VARY, BUT AS MANY AS TWO MILLION PEOPLE ARE NOW
BELIEVED TO BE USING THE INTERNET IN MAINLAND CHINA. WITHIN THE
NEXT FOUR YEARS THOUGH, 33 MILLION MORE -- OR THREE PERCENT OF
CHINA'S POPULATION -- ARE PREDICTED TO BE ON LINE.
/// FIRST ZAHURANCIK ACT ///
IT'S STILL A RELATIVELY SMALL PENETRATION RATE, BUT
GIVEN THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE CHINESE MARKET, THE
OPPORTUNITY THERE IS TREMENDOUS FOR A VERY HIGH OVERALL
GROWTH RATE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
// END ACT //
JOHN ZAHURANCIK IS PART OF THE STRATEGIS CONSULTING GROUP, WHICH
HAS JUST PUBLISHED A REPORT THAT -- AT THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS A
COPY -- IS ADVISING BUSINESSES ABOUT FUTURE INTERNET TRENDS IN
CHINA.
/// SECOND ZAHURANCIK ACT ///
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF DEVELOPMENTS WITH NEW
PLAYERS TRYING TO PROVIDE CHINESE LANGUAGE CONTENT,
TRANSLATION OF ENGLISH SITE CONTENT AND I THINK WE'LL
CONTINUE TO SEE THAT.
// END ACT //
BUT PERHAPS THE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION IS NOT HOW WIDESPREAD
INTERNET USAGE IN CHINA WILL BECOME, BUT HOW FREE. THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT, LIKE OTHERS THAT DO NOT ALLOW A FREE MEDIA, FILTERS
THE CONTENT OF THE WEB. MANY WEBSITES CONTAINING NEWS AND
OPINION THAT DIFFER FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S REMAIN BLOCKED OFF.
BUT MR. ZAHURANCIK SAYS MORE SITES, AS WELL AS E-MAIL FROM
DISSIDENTS ABROAD, ARE GETTING PAST THE CENSORS.
/// THIRD ZAHURANCIK ACT ///
THAT BATTLE IS STILL BEING FOUGHT. THERE'S BEEN A
NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPENING IN THE CHINESE MARKET THAT
LOOK AT OPENING UP GREATER ACCESS TO CONTENTS. SOME
SITES HAVE BEEN BLOCKED FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT IT SEEMS
LIKE THERE IS GREATER AND GREATER ACCESS TO CONTENT
FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE TO MOST USERS.
/// END ACT ///
THAT MAY BE TRUE NOW. BUT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF, SAY, CHINA SAW
ANOTHER MASS MOVEMENT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT SIMILAR TO THE ONE
IN TIANANMEN SQUARE TEN YEARS AGO -- THIS ONE GIVEN ADDED
MOMENTUM BY INFORMATION RECEIVED OVER THE INTERNET? CHEUK KWAN
IS INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE ANTI-BEIJING GLOBAL PETITION
CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.
/// CHEUK ACT ///
IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT WITHIN A FEW YEARS FROM NOW
THERE MIGHT BE A MASS MOVEMENT, THIS TIME NOT ON
TIANANMEN SQUARE BUT ON WEB SITES AND INTERNET SITES
THROUGHOUT CHINA. IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR CHINA TO
STOP WEBSITES WITHIN CHINA. THERE'S JUST TOO MANY
WEBSITES RIGHT NOW IN CHINA AND HOST SITES IN CHINA, SO
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT CAN NOT WATCH IT.
/// END ACT ///
CHINA IS NOT THE ONLY GOVERNMENT THAT REFUSES TO ALLOW ITS
CITIZENS TO RECEIVE THE WEB UNFILTERED. DECLAN MCCULLAGH IS
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT FOR WIRED MAGAZINE, WHICH CLOSELY
FOLLOWS DEVELOPMENTS IN CYBERSPACE.
/// FIRST MCCULLAGH ACT ///
THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO CHINA. IT'S A QUESTION THAT ALL
ASIAN COUNTRIES ARE GRAPPLING WITH. HOW CAN THEY
PRESERVE WHAT THEY VIEW AS THEIR COUNTRY'S CULTURE AND
RECONCILE THAT WITH THE GREAT FREEDOM AND UNCONTROLLED
AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET?
/// END ACT ///
IF CHINA AND OTHER ASIAN NATIONS DO MOVE TO EASE RESTRAINTS ON
THE INTERNET -- AND THE REPORT BY THE STRATEGIS GROUP SUGGESTS
THIS IS THE TREND -- FOREIGN BROADCASTERS, LIKE THE VOICE OF
AMERICA, MAY FIND NEW COMPETITION.
/// SECOND MCCULLAGH ACT ///
THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THE INTERNET IS THAT PEOPLE
CAN FIND EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. WITH
BROADCAST, THEY HAVE TO TAKE WHAT THEY'RE GIVEN. BUT IF
THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, IT'S A WONDERFUL WAY
TO FIND NEWS. IT COULD VERY WELL EMERGE AS A RIVAL TO
SOME FORMS OF BROADCAST.
// END ACT ///
REGARDLESS OF HOW THE TUG OF WAR OVER INTERNET FREEDOM PLAYS OUT,
INTERNET-RELATED BUSINESSES ARE ATTRACTED TO THE HUGE NEW MARKET
THAT CHINA COULD OFFER. BUT WITH MILLIONS OF CHINESE LACKING
EVEN BASIC PHONE SERVICE, THE WORLD'S MOST POPULOUS NATION STILL
HAS A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE ADVERTISERS AS WELL AS SILICON VALLEY
CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN ON-LINE AUDIENCE OF A BILLION OR MORE
PEOPLE. (SIGNED)
NEB/NJS/GM
01-Jul-99 5:34 PM EDT (2134 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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