Here in the US, it’s easy to picture the Chinese internet as one big game of cat and mouse — a space that’s growing and vibrant, yet meticulously catered to the tastes of its political overlords. But in a TED talk delivered last month, Chinese blogger Michael Anti offered a more nuanced take on the ” Great Firewall ,” arguing that for all its glaring imperfections and overregulation, China’s internet still holds great promise for free speech — and perhaps even democracy. The rise of Weibo and Baidu, Anti argues, have given the Chinese populace a newfound voice, while fostering an entire public sphere for more than 300 million of the country’s netizens. And while government censors may keep a close eye on every tweet or blog post, the..

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A powerful ‘Chinanet’ is growing behind the ‘Great Firewall’

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