IfG.CC - The Institute for eGovernment

China verfügt weltweit über das umfassendste System zur Zensur von Websites und Inhalten im Internet. Beinahe 50.000 Websites sind für User im Reich der Mitte unzugänglich. Manche Themenbereiche wie z.B. Demokratisierung, Tibet und Taiwan sind nahezu vollständig blockiert. Das geht aus einer aktuellen Studie der Harvard Law School hervor. Diese bestätigt China bei seiner Internetpolitik durchaus Erfolge. Demnach sei für die chinesischen Behörden das Internet leichter zu kontrollieren als andere Kommunikationsformen wie Telefon, Fax und Briefe. Nur die entschlossensten und geschicktesten User schaffen es, die Filtersysteme der Zensur zu umgehen.

I-Berhad is bolstering its digital offerings in i-City with the metaverse concept in collaboration with China's telecommunication giant China Mobile.

The term "metaverse" refers to a shared interactive 3D virtual world that has been heralded as the next evolution of the internet.

The concept came to the fore during the Covid-19 pandemic as lockdown measures increased demand for online business and entertainment.

Under the agreement, China Telecom will assist with e-government, urban-rural information infrastructure, local network standardization, carbon emission reduction and environmental protection over the next five years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the country to accelerate implementation of big data strategy to better serve social and economic development and improve people's lives.

Efforts should be made to advance national big data strategy, improve digital infrastructure, promote integration and sharing of digital resources, and safeguard data security, Xi said during a collective study session of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's Political Bureau on Friday.

In weniger als 10 Sekunden kann Zhou Bin, ein Einwohner der Stadt Fuzhou in der ostchinesischen Provinz Fujian, über sein Mobiltelefon auf seine Konten für Sozialversicherungen zugreifen.

„In der Vergangenheit musste man verschiedene offizielle Websites für verschiedene Formalitäten finden und bei jedem Login den Bestätigungscode über sein Handy anfordern", erklärte Zhou.

China's investment in big data centers is expected to grow by more than 20 percent annually during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), and the cumulative investment in related fields is set to exceed 3 trillion yuan ($471 billion), the country's top economic regulator said on Friday.

Sun Wei, deputy director of the Department of Innovation and High-Tech Development at the National Development and Reform Commission, said the big data centers play a key role in supporting the operation of the digital economy.

"Effectively protecting Internet security is an important part of China's Internet administration, and an indispensable requirement for protecting state security and the public interest," the 34-page paper said. It made no promise about lifting of the current ban on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube that are highly popular sites in the rest of the world. "While exercising such freedom and rights, citizens are not allowed to infringe upon state, social and collective interests or the legitimate freedom and rights and other citizens," it said.

Deng Li, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister, has announced China's proposals for the China-Africa Partnership Plan on Digital Innovation at the China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum.

A statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the forum, hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of China, was attended by ministerial-level officials from African countries and the African Union Commission in charge of digital and telecommunications affairs, diplomatic envoys to China, Chinese and African scholars and entrepreneurs.

The country is building dozens, maybe hundreds of large data centers to support the needs of its fast-growing online population, estimated now at close to 500 million. The data centers will help to meet escalating demand from telecom providers, and for services such as e-commerce, online banking and e-government.

Shanghai opened its first cloud-enabled data center – Shanghai AtHub - as part of its Cloud Scheme, to be run by AtHub (@Hub) Corporation at the Shanghai SHIBEI Hi-Tech Park.

The opening is part of a broader effort by China to turn itself into the “Asia-Pacific cloud computing center”, according to the Shanghai Municipal Government.

China is planning to create 10 cloud computing enterprises with annual income for more than 100 million yuan to match the most influential providers in the market in three years, according to a report in the People’s Daily Online this week.

In late June, passengers traveling between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Yizhuang, a southern district of Beijing, were able to choose, if they like, the services provided by driverless robotaxis, with just a few clicks on their mobile phones.

Although for security concerns, these robotaxis are operating under the supervision of safety drivers behind the wheels, this breakthrough in the commercialization of self-driving technology marks a significant step for Beijing's intelligent transportation.

China’s State Council on August 17 released the Critical Information Infrastructure Security Protection Regulations (“Regulations”) effective September 1, a key administrative regulation in the implementation of the 2016 Cybersecurity Law (“CSL”) which provided that critical information infrastructure (“CII”) shall be given priority protection against cybersecurity risks and threats at home and abroad (Article 5). The Regulations, finalized from a 2017 draft, clarify the definition of CII, the authorities-in-charge of CII security protection, determination of CII, obligations of a CII Operator (“CIIO”), CII security support and promotion, and legal liability.

I felt something similar at last month’s China E-government Awards, the first event of its kind in Hangzhou. The past ten years have seen the rapid development of China’s e-government infrastructure. Just as China has made great strides to build a world-class physical infrastructure, so the government has been at pains to provide world-class e-services for the 300 million Chinese with internet access. This has meant local governments, especially fast-developing ones like Hangzhou, have been mandated to upgrade online services that fulfill local needs. But while China wants to modernise service delivery quickly, it has been careful to ensure that local governments do not rush to upgrade services just because they have to, and neglect the reason for doing so - to better serve the citizen.

"China is no longer a 'maybe' destination," said Egidio Zarrella, a partner of management consulting at KPMG. "Having an articulated China strategy is essential for an organization with global ambitions."

All depts online by 2017, and a national site by 2020.

The Chinese Government has embraced digital government, setting out a four-step plan to bring its services online.

The plan, Internet Plus, was approved by the State Council and will see the establishment of the first “state services system”, state media announced.

A firsthand look at connected technology in China, which despite the two countries’ vastly different political structures is developing along much the same path as it is in U.S. states and localities.

On the last day of May, I boarded a 13-hour flight to Beijing, not completely certain about what to expect over the next month. This was the beginning of my Zhi-Xing Eisenhower Fellowship. Over the next 28 days, I would travel to seven cities, meet with more than 100 people, and become fully immersed in a different culture.