How China's Internet generation broke the silence

While China has the world's most sophisticated Internet censorship system, it also has almost 400 million Internet users - at least some of whom are challenging those restraints with increasing boldness.

Controls mean that almost everyone self-censors to some degree. But some have used the variations and gaps in the system to stake out spaces where they can find or share viewpoints that are not officially sanctioned. In fact, the Internet is arguably more important than in other countries since the mainstream media is still more firmly controlled. The Chinese have even invented a word - "wangmin" or "netizen" - that captures this sense of the Internet as a space for social and political discussion. It is also a space for enjoyment.