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The internet makes new forms of interaction between citizens, civil society and the government possible. In China new forms of communication and expression of opinions through social networks, blogs and microblogs also plays a more and more prominent role. With about 400 million “netizens” the Chinese online-community is the biggest in the world. About half of them are regularly active in social networks and blogs.

On the 15th of March the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Shanghai held a workshop on “Public Governance in the Era of Web 2.0” with Chinese and international experts, in order to analyse the effects of these processes from sociological, political and media science perspectives. During the workshop the experts discussed whether the internet has broadened the chances of participation for the Chinese citizens. Moreover they debated how the government has begun to use social media and social networks for the communication with the public and to provide better, more transparent services to the Chinese people.