by Chinese media writer Wang Aihua
BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Chinese media) -- Chinese netizens have
made their voices heard more loudly and their presence better recognized in
headline news events over the past year.
When the Beijing Olympic torch relay overseas was
disrupted in April, almost all the Chinese msn messenger users posted "I love
China" beside their names, a move that looked "overwhelming" to Kevin, a French
man who was living in Shanghai at the time.
As to domestic affairs, netizens did not sit aloof.
After the dairy scandal emerged in September, netizens' strong criticisms
finally led to the resignation of Li Changjiang, then director of the General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
Yan Jirong, professor at Peking University's School
of Government, said this incident showed the government was paying attention to
public voices on the Internet.
A report released by the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences on Dec. 2 showed about 206 million Chinese use the Internet as their
main source of news.
According to the China Internet Network Information
Center, under-30s are the majority of online news readers, accounting for about
69 percent of total Internet users.
On June 20, Hu visited the Qiangguo Forum, which is
affiliated to people.com.cn, and chatted with netizens. Hu's visit drew so many
clicks that it almost crashed the site.
Premier Wen said frankly at a press conference on
March 18 that he had been using the Internet to listen to netizens' opinions and
suggestions during the annual sessions of the National People's Congress, the
top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference, the top advisory body.
Fans of the two leaders started to post suggestions
and support to the two leaders at beginning of July on a bulletin board of the
people.com.cn, a website of the People's Daily.
It was prompted by affection for Hu and Wen after
seeing how they dealt with the May 12 earthquake, the fans said in their
postings.
After the magnitude-8.0 earthquake struck the
southwestern Sichuan Province and the neighboring provinces on May 12, the two
officials paid repeated visits to the devastated areas and impressed netizens
with moving behavior and words.
Some scholars said bluntly that the Internet had
indeed built a direct link between the grassroots and the central power.
Local officials, on the other hand, are going a step
further to write blogs and hold debates with netizens on hot issues.
Li Ou, vice mayor of Siping in the northeastern Jilin
Province, has been hailed by netizens as being the most active mayor who uses
his real name to debate with netizens on social affairs.
Li's blog was selected as one of the "top 10 blogs of
2008" in a poll by the People's Daily based on the votes from millions of
netizens.
Another local official, Liao Xinbo, deputy director
of the Department of Public Health of the southern Guangdong Province, was also
on the list. His blog was picked for pointing out the keyto China's new medical
reform plan which is likely to be issued in January, reported the People's
Daily.
Liao wrote on Dec. 25 that China should learn from
other countries, such as Cuba, in drafting the long-delayed medical reform plan.
"The government is seeking new ways for the public to
voice opinions," said Yan.
A survey taken by the China Youth Daily's poll center
showed about 72 percent of those responding hoped the Internet would be anew
path to democracy. More than half of those surveyed said the exchanges on the
Internet helped to bring the government closer to the public.
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