The Chinese leadership’s reaction to the Arab spring has so far been more pronounced than that of its people. Although there have been few outpourings of democratic longing, the authorities have crushed any whiff of protest – and even the means by which dissent may be expressed. This week, Google accused Beijing of disrupting its e-mail service inside the country. Google claims the crackdown was covert, designed to look like an internal error. This episode reflects the Chinese authorities’ attitude to the internet: they are both dazzled by its economic possibilities and fearful of its political consequences.
迄今為止，中國領導層對阿拉伯之春的反應遠比其民眾更為強烈。雖然民間幾乎沒有公開表達對民主的渴求，但只要一有抗議的苗頭，官方就會立即予以打壓，甚至連表達異見的渠道也不放過。本周，谷歌(Google)指責中國政府干擾了該公司在中國境內的電子郵件服務。這家公司表示，打壓手段十分隱蔽，設計得就像是一個內部故障。這個事件反映出中國政府對待互聯網的態度：既醉心于它的經濟潛力，又擔心它的政治后果。