China in the Era of Social Media discusses how social media is changing the world in an unprecedented way through speed, scope, and depth. In the last decade or so, social media in China has witnessed the most explosive growth in the world. Being the most populous nation in the world, it has the most social media users in the world as well. This book examines the current situation and unique characteristics of Chinese social media, the significance of social media in the country’s social transformation, and particularly its influences on political change in the nation. The main goal of this book is to explore how social media has been affecting and thus changing China’s political system, the ruling communist ideology, and the state-run media, as well as its public discourse and public opinions. Scholars of Asian studies, political science, and communications will find this book particularly interesting.

Contributions by: Ching-Man Chan, Naipeng Chao, Yang Cheng, Tiance Dong, Jie Feng, Fangfang Gao, Xu He, Junhao Hong, Li Huang, Yihui Huang, Qin Li, Yonggang Li, Chenxi Liang, Ziqi Liang, Trisha T.C. Lin, Zhaoxi Liu, Jing Niu, Yue-Xin Qiang, Jiaqi Qin, Yang Shen, Peiren Shao, Hu Wang, Juan Wang, Yun Wang, Lu Wei, Minghua Wu, Di Xu, Ping Xu, Sanjiu Yan, Qian Yao, Yinjiao Ye, Guangfeng Yuan, Xiangling Yuan, Mingxin Zhang