ABSTRACT
This chapter proceeds from a discussion of the definitions and main features of egovernment and e-governance in China as a whole, to consider from a micro-perspective examples of local e-government drawn from field work in the two relatively wealthy provinces of Fujian and Guangdong with a focus on Taijiang, a district of Fuzhou. With information obtained from interviews with researchers from local universities and government agencies in charge of e-government, it has been possible to gain a clear picture of the two major functional aspects of local e-government in China. First, it has a government service orientation and offers easier access to information for the public. Informatization and local e-government are seen as an integral part of the government reforms that are required to increase efficiency and speed. Second, local websites offering a comprehensive range of information have been set up by the government. The websites of the sample cities can be described as “local portals,” and they provide links to the relevant information and government agencies. This goes some of the way towards resolving the conflict produced by the government’s struggle to control the Internet while also taking full advantage of the benefits of economic development which can be achieved through technological modernization in the fields of information and communication. The vast and comprehensive information network offered by local egovernment websites, including government information, business opportunities, shopping places, chat rooms, leisure activities, games and news within a “safe sandbox,” helps to offset the “danger” that citizens will be tempted to leave the local information network.
