China connectivity versus content
Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 8:16AM ■"China, New Land of Shoppers, Builds Malls on Gigantic Scale," by David Barboza, New York Times, 25 May 2005, p. A1.
■"In China, Curbs Imperil Internet TV: Tight Grip on Programming May Limit Appeal of Services Being Tested by Phone Firms," by Rebecca Buckman, Wall Street Journal, 26 May 2005, p. B4.
No, no, we are told, the Chinese are different. They want to get rich only to become powerful and a threat to the West. Marketization isn't pacification. We are naÔve to believe that in their security, the Chinese will seek consumerism. Rather, they will seek markets only to bolster their security.
So we are told that China wants the connectivity of globalization, but none of the content of Westernization, when in reality they are no different than anyone else on the planet: with connectivity they expect choice. Give them a broadband pipe into their homes and they expect not just standard Chinese TV fare, they want the entire 500-channel universe, and if Chinese regulations say only 30% of programming can be foreign, guess which side will eventually give on that tug of war.
Reader Comments