China’s Perspective on Internet Governance: a more Integrated Role in the Global Discussion?

Based on political and historical sources and on the analysis of Chinese presence within international organizations, this article aims at showing the evolution of the Chinese Internet governance model. Namely, this study highlights the Chinese shift from a status of a norm taker to that of a norm maker. This research argues that China began to be engaged in the global governance discussion of the Internet from the first years of its Internet history. Because of its historical relations with China and its impact on domestic Chinese Internet history, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was considered the ideal international organization to govern the global Internet. The present article confirms this through the analysis of Mr. Zhao Houlin’s strategies before and after his election as Secretary General of the ITU. Finally, in line with the rationale of the present special issue, this research argues that the Chinese role in the global Internet governance debate does not reverse its status quo of the global Internet governance. Whereas, given China’s engagement in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), engagement suggests a collaborative attitude.