When China hosted the first World Internet Conference last month, it used the event to introduce the country’s recently named Internet czar Lu Wei to the international community. It also unveiled Lu’s international agenda as he begins to expand his engagement towards foreign Internet regulators and companies after two years of what is being seen as a highly influential focus on domestic agencies and online service and information providers. Lu’s ambitious international priorities, set out as national Internet sovereignty, international adoption of the Chinese regulatory model, and continued gatekeeping of international online companies, could mean rough waters ahead for international Internet information and service providers, as well as for Hong Kong citizens.
The first thing to know about Lu’s newly revealed international game plan is that he is definitely not to be seen as a loose cannon. His close association with President Xi Jinping at the conference signals that he is well received within the Party mainstream and that his foray into the international stage represents the official Party line. It will not be easy for the international community to side-step him.
The on-message participation of Chinese online giants such as Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent also suggests that the last two years have successfully gotten them on board with the Party’s vision of the future online world. The close alignment of government and corporate agendas has typified Chinese Internet development, particularly in the last five years, and creates a formidable bulwark against any foreign companies or regulators who would like to push China to play the online game on their terms.
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