One of the frequently made arguments for extending permanent MFN to China is that the Internet boom is producing an explosion of bottom-up individualism that over time will subvert the communists' monopoly grip on power. Ms. Bork points out that in a nation with population of 1.4 billion, fewer than 1 percent of the Chinese people have access to computers and access to the Internet is tightly controlled by the government.
Internet access is controlled by state-owned or related companies.
Providers depend on access to the state-controlled networks. Internet content also is rigidly controlled by the state. Lin Hai was sentenced to 18 months in prison for advocating the overthrowing the Communist Party. Providing e-mail addresses to an overseas dissident magazine. Restrictions that would cause e-companies to howl in this country are merely regarded as the necessary price of doing business in China.