Why the internet has not freed China

AT THE DAWN of the digital age Bill Clinton predicted that a combination of capitalism and the internet might liberalise China. His vision was bold, uplifting and wrong. It was the year 2000 and America’s then-president saw a revolution in the making, as the Communist Party ceased to be a monopoly provider of everything from jobs and housing to news. In an age of new opportunity and information sources, the party would be less able to control people, Mr Clinton argued, adding: “In the new century, liberty will spread by cell phone and cable modem.” Sure, he had heard that China was trying to control its internet. “Good luck! That’s sort of like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall,” he chuckled.