Governing Digital China, with Daniela Stockmann and Ting Luo

The podcast explores the complexities of digital governance in China, focusing on the dynamic interplay between the state, platform companies, and internet users. It challenges the notion of a simple top-down, command-and-control model, arguing instead for a more nuanced understanding shaped by bargaining, incentives, and what the hosts term "popular corporatism." Daniela Stockmann and Ting Luo, authors of "Governing Digital China," discuss how the Chinese state navigates the "digital dilemma"—balancing the economic benefits of digital platforms with the risks of dissent and misinformation. They highlight the preferences of Chinese users for both political expression and privacy, and how firms negotiate the demands of the state and the needs of users. The discussion also covers the social credit system, clarifying its components and dispelling common misconceptions.