Tear down the great firewall

[Commentary] 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. The ongoing campaign to censor online expression will ultimately prove counterproductive. At present, the Chinese are broadly pliant, accepting prosperity without political liberalization. But tension between economic achievement and the right to exercise political choice can be resolved only by greater freedom. Tampering with Google is certainly a sophisticated means to curtail web freedom. But technical strength is not enough to maintain a regime – such an act ultimately betrays Beijing’s political vulnerability.