Fergie's Tech Blog

How Long Can The Great Firewall of China Last?

Rhys Blakely writes in The Time Online (UK).

Google recently seemed to suggest that it was willing to wait several millennia for its Chinese business to take off. As it plays its very long game, despite losing heavily to the local players and having to face down shareholder protests on human rights issues only last week, it, like other Western internet companies, is sticking to Beijing’s rules.

It is easy to explain why, but harder to believe that the explanation will last the long term. China’s attractions are plain. It already has about as many internet users as the US, the world’s largest online market. Yet, so far, the dragon is barely blowing smoke rings when it comes to e-commerce.

For although it may be true that being rich is indeed glorious, few of China’s 1.3 billion people have tested Deng Xiaoping’s dictum. Indeed, the average Chinese citizen has roughly the same chance of being hit by lightning as of becoming a dollar millionaire.

posted by Fergie @ 5/18/2007 01:46:00 PM