Virtual is not a world apart

Policymakers also need to put the interests of people first and steadfastly work on their behalf in the 'network society'

The development of the Internet has exerted substantial influence on Chinese society. A "network society" has emerged, a society that is virtual in form but which reflects the non-virtual social reality.

There is a huge number of people active in cyberspace - according to the China Internet Network Information Center, the number of Internet users in China reached 590 million in June - and they have formed online communities that are complex in composition. The widespread use of the Internet has made the expression of public opinions more open, honest and immediate, but also uncertain. This requires policymakers to maintain close ties with the network society, and the fundamental way to achieve this is to extend the "mass line" campaign to cyberspace.