Myspace China

"Create a private community on MySpace and you can share photos, journals and interests with your growing network of mutual friends! Some people have 1,000s of people in their extended network!" ( Link ). This is how Myspace describes their service; doesn't it seem like something the Chinese would be aching to take part in? Especially with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao recently stating, "We must ensure the people are entitled to the right of democratic election, decision-making, management and oversight." ( Link ) This is an excellent means to ensure the dissemination of political thoughts and promote such democratic ideals. HA! Yeah right.
While Myspace has launched a text version of its new China service, it will be a Chinese-owned company with only backing from MySpace Inc. The company has decided to follow its predecessors like Yahoo, Ebay and Google, to ensure a smooth entrance into the Chinese market, without running into political obstacles and "heavy weather." ( Link )
This Chinese oversight will guarantee censorship, with strong legal repercussions if "subversive" material is propogated. "Subversive," however has been defined as any activity which “endangers state security” (Amnesty), and has resulted in the arrest of at least 260,000 individuals and their being held in ideological “reeducation” camps for indefinite periods of time (U.S. State Department . Hmmm, ideological reeducation camps, sounds very democratic.
If the West is ever to influence China's democratization, providing the state with more censorship opportunities is not the way to do it. US companies are instead ensuring the enduring repression of the Chinese people.