.com or .jp example

[Anthony Ng]

Not true, they can't control what domains people use.

Huh!?! They (the Chinese Government) SURE CAN. If you are not aware of that, they can block the whole Internet in a matter of days, if they really have to do it. Sorry, but you are being too naive. While the government of the day (Hu-Wen) is the most liberal and open-minded in the past 50 years, it doesn't mean that the state is not capable of running in the New Authoritarian model. Actually, there has probably been a consensus among the ruling elite in Zhongnanhai since the post-Deng days that China will remain so for at least the next generation in order to secure a relatively more stable political and social environment for economic growth. Again, when it comes to China, the civil society is still too young to make a difference. Okay, class dismissed.

 

[Rubber Duck]

Yes, the Communist Party still has huge power and could effectively do what it wants to. However, even in almost totalitarian regimes, leaders have to have a constituency. In Modern China the constituencies of the leaders want a better life and their powerbase is contigent on delivering that. No, it is not democracy, but to stay in power they have to please a good number of the people at least some of the time.

 

[touchring]

Huh!?! They (the Chinese Government) SURE CAN. If you are not aware of that, they can block the whole Internet in a matter of days, if they really have to do it. Sorry, but you are being too naive. While the government of the day (Hu-Wen) is the most liberal and open-minded in the past 50 years, it doesn't mean that the state is not capable of running in the New Authoritarian model. Actually, there has probably been a consensus among the ruling elite in Zhongnanhai since the post-Deng days that China will remain so for at least the next generation in order to secure a relatively more stable political and social environment for economic growth. Again, when it comes to China, the civil society is still too young to make a difference. Okay, class dismissed.

Ok, i see where you are coming from.

We're in different shoes, i'm not interested in how liberal or democratic the Chinese government is - it doesn't bother me a bit - there are many more authoritarian "pseudo democracy" dictatorships in Asia and South Asia than China, in case if you are not aware.

All sorts of tactics are used to maintain dictatorial rule, fake asssination, fake voting, making sure the opposition cannot stand for election or have no money to stand for elections, buying over people from the other party, bribing the electorates, making sure the newspapers only publish what's good to the ruling party, making sure states/districts won by the other party get no funding from the federal gov, etc, countless tactics, it happens every day.

At the end of the day, all i know is that i'm a businessman and i am only interested in web business and i'm not interested in politics, and i see no reason why China or any authoritarian government would block a website selling furnitures or shoes.

 

[Anthony Ng]

Ok, i see where you are coming from ...

I guess you have TOTALLY missed the point, but never mind.

 

[touchring]

I know your point, i come from an authoritarian country, even more authoritarian than China, but still, we live in the 21st century, it's not like during the Qing dynasty or pre-Meiji Japan where governments shut themselves out and do not trade. Trade brings wealth and without wealth authoritarian governments cannot enforce their rule. It's all about money.