Internet-induced authoritarian responsiveness. The comparison of Sun Zhigang's and Li Qiming's case studies

Seminar paper from the year 2024 in the subject Asian studies, Humboldt-University of Berlin, language: English, abstract: The main thesis of this study is that the cause of Internet-induced authoritarian responsiveness (as in the cases of Sun Zhigang and Li Qiming) is the necessity to maintain the Party's legitimacy. Both those issues cover social problems that pose a big problem for China. The state by responding to them and accommodating the citizen's demands, reinforces its legitimacy. Drawing on the crucial terms and notions for this study (authoritarian responsiveness, internet-induced, and legitimacy), this work will present step by step, after defining key terms one after another, how they connect to create a new term- internet-induced authoritarian responsiveness. First, I will explain authoritarian responsiveness and the different types of it that some research is pointing at. Then this study will shortly present crucial points for the understanding of (Chinese) state legitimacy. Next, I will Illuminate thenever-ending mouse-and-cat game between China s sophisticated censorship and the Netizens, who are being named the new opinion class . After that, I will present two case studies of Sun Zhigang and Li Qiming and show how they are exemplary instances of the above-mentioned terms and the social issues that they represent.