BSR Insight | Is Social Media Changing Chinese Civil Society?
About the Author(s)
Pei Bin, Former Director, China Partnership Development
Publication Date
August 10, 2010
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With more than 420 million internet users and more than 805 million mobile phone users in China, technology and social media are quietly transforming Chinese civil society as more people proactively share their opinions online. As my former colleague at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Wang Zhenyao, put it: “There are two parties in China: One is the Chinese Communist Party, and the other is the Internet Party.” The free flow of information and greater freedom of expression is fundamentally shifting people’s mindsets, as evidenced by the recent wave of worker protests organized through chat rooms and mobile text messages. Middle class citizens concerned with social injustices are also joining these movements.
For business, this transformation has three key implications:
- The public is much more likely to learn about, discuss, and react to labor violations or environmental pollution cases as they happen.
- There's a greater potential for brand damage and consumer boycotts of products.
- Single-issue events that affect one company could damage the reputation of an entire industry due to a “spillover effect” sparked by online conversations.
To learn more about how social media is transforming China—and how this will impact business—contact Pei Bin.
About the Author(s)
Pei Bin, Former Director, China Partnership Development
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