Chinese Bloggers

An interesting article on the positive impact Chinese bloggers are having:

Tens of millions of mice over-ran China’s internet trap this year, swamping it with chatter, nibbling towards freedom of speech.

Riots in Tibet, the Sichuan earthquake, an under-age Olympic hero, poisoned milk, official corruption, and even a fake tiger sighting – China’s top news stories this year took on new life in the blogosphere.

The twisted reports and deliberate silence of the Communist Party’s traditional propaganda machine – state-owned newspapers and television – were held to ridicule by swift-moving mice that scrutinised, uncovered and spread little pieces of competing truth

Yay.

The number of bloggers in China doubled to 107 million in the six months to last June, according to the China Internet Network Information Centre. Total users rose 56 per cent from the previous year, to 253 million, giving China the largest online population in the world.

Mr Mao says he can see a tipping point coming. He believes that as a result of blogging, young Chinese brainwashed by their education system are now trying to think for themselves, work together and find smarter solutions.

Sounds hopeful.