The Word of the Week comes from China Digital Space’s Grass-Mud Horse Lexicon, a glossary of terms created by Chinese netizens and frequently encountered in online political discussions. These are the words of China’s online “resistance discourse,” used to mock and subvert the official language around censorship and political correctness.
Jiang Yu: “What I want to emphasize is that China’s Internet is open.”
中国的互联网是开放的 (Zhōngguó de hūliánwǎng shì kāifàng de): China’s Internet is open
This official position was perhaps most famously repeated in January 14, 2010 by Jiang Yu, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry. Below are her responses to two questions asked by reporters at a regularly scheduled press conference:
Q: Google announced that it might withdraw from the Chinese market and no longer cooperate with the Chinese Government on internet censorship. What’s China’s response to that?
问：中国政府对谷歌公司宣布可能退出中国市场，不再和中国政府合作对网络内容进行审查有何回应？
A: I want to stress that China’s Internet is open. The Chinese government encourages the development of the Internet and endeavors to create a sound environment for the healthy development of Internet. As in other countries, China manages the Internet in accordance with law. The measures we take are consistent with international practice. I also want to stress that China welcomes international Internet corporations to do business in China in accordance with law.
答：我想强调的是，中国的互联网是开放的，中国政府鼓励互联网的发展，努力为互联网的健康发展营造良好的环境。中国的法律禁止任 何形式的黑客攻击行为。中国同其他国家一样，依法管理互联网，有关管理措施符合国际通行做法。我还想强调，中国欢迎国际互联网企业在中国依法开展业务。
Q: Is YouTube blocked in China? Why?
问：Youtube网站是否在中国被屏蔽？为什么？
A: I do not understand the situation to which you are referring. What I can tell you is that the Chinese government manages the Internet in accordance with the law. It has clearly written rules about which information should be prohibited from being spread on the Internet. I suggest that you ask CNNIC for information about this issue.
答：我不了解你所说的情况。我可以告诉你的是，中国政府依法管理互联网，明文规定哪些信息应被禁止在互联网上传播，建议你向中国互联网管理部门咨询有关情况。
Jiang Yu’s comments were not the earliest mention of China’s “open Internet.” In 2009, Zhou Xisheng more dramatically stated that “China has the most open Internet in the world.” Nor were they the last: they were Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhouxu’s retort to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Remarks on Internet Freedom in late January 2010.
