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. China's membership in the WTO allegedly grants foreign investors up to 50 percent ownership in Internet service and content providers.