ABSTRACT
The development of the Internet has enabled governments around the world to provide better public service and improve efficiency. It also provides the public with more convenience to acquire political knowledge and participate in politics. However, there is still a debate on whether the Internet reduces the legitimacy of authoritarian states or promotes their democratic transition when faced with Internet censorship. Based on case studies, the authors find that the Chinese government has improved its governance efficiency and political openness in virtue of the Internet. This chapter proposes four strategies that the Chinese government has developed to strengthen its legitimacy through Internet technology, namely responsiveness-driven strategy, public service and efficiency orientation strategy, social-control-orientation strategy, and orderly limited-participation-orientation strategy.
