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Factors Influencing the Diffusion of the Internet in China: 1997-2001
Unformatted Document Text:  1 Factors Influencing the Diffusion of the Internet in China: 1997-2002 Introduction: China has experienced a great leap forward in the popularity and use of the Internet since the second half of the 1990s. The number of computer and Internet users has increased at an exponential rate and this has won acclaim from international observers (Lu, 2000; CNN, 1999 & 2002). China has recently become home to the third largest number of Internet users (CNN, 2002). Social scientific approaches to describing the diffusion of the Internet in China is rare. China, as one of the few socialist countries remaining in the world, has exhibited amazing economic growth since 1980s. Its pattern and pace of Internet diffusion, as result of regional, political and economical differences, should be distinguished from the Western model (USA, OECD, Japan or Singapore). This paper examines the diffusion of China’s Internet usage and probes the determinants that predict its diffusion. Theoretical Background Diffusion of innovation The Internet has been studied as an information technology that can be adopted at national, organizational and individual levels (Rogers, 1994, Castells, 1996, Press, 1997). As a specific social phenomenon, diffusion is defined by Rogers (1995) as “the process by which an innovation is communicated through

Authors: Lin, Jia.
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Factors Influencing the Diffusion of the Internet in China:
1997-2002
Introduction:
China has experienced a great leap forward in the popularity and use of
the Internet since the second half of the 1990s. The number of computer and
Internet users has increased at an exponential rate and this has won acclaim
from international observers (Lu, 2000; CNN, 1999 & 2002). China has recently
become home to the third largest number of Internet users (CNN, 2002). Social
scientific approaches to describing the diffusion of the Internet in China is rare.
China, as one of the few socialist countries remaining in the world, has exhibited
amazing economic growth since 1980s. Its pattern and pace of Internet diffusion,
as result of regional, political and economical differences, should be
distinguished from the Western model (USA, OECD, Japan or Singapore). This
paper examines the diffusion of China’s Internet usage and probes the
determinants that predict its diffusion.
Theoretical Background
Diffusion of innovation
The Internet has been studied as an information technology that can be
adopted at national, organizational and individual levels (Rogers, 1994, Castells,
1996, Press, 1997). As a specific social phenomenon, diffusion is defined by
Rogers (1995) as “the process by which an innovation is communicated through


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