Journal of Information Resources Management ›› 2025, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (5): 162-164.doi: 10.13365/j.jirm.2025.05.162

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China’s Internet History Through a Multi-Narrative Lens:A Book Review of A Brief History of the Internet in China

Li Gang   

  1. Center for Studies of Information Resources, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072
  • Online:2025-09-26 Published:2025-10-31
  • About author:Li Gang, PhD, professor, research interests include information resources management and competitive intelligence, Email: imiswhu@aliyun.com.

Abstract: The development of the internet in China has spanned three decades. The historic leap from a large internet nation to a strong internet power urgently requires in-depth summarization and interpretation by academia. Against this backdrop, the publication of the book A Brief History of the Internet in China carries significant contemporary significance and academic value. By reconstructing historical contexts, focusing on key actors, and integrating diverse historical materials, the book breaks away from the previously dominant government-centered linear narrative, vividly presenting the tapestry of China's internet development woven collectively by the government, the market, academia, and communities. Moreover, its interwoven thematic narratives not only provide a systematic historical annotation for the development of the internet in China but also offer a theoretical reference for the evolution of disciplines such as information resource management, highlighting China's transition from a field of technological application to a site of theoretical construction.

Key words: Multiple Narrative Perspective, History of the Internet in China, Oral History, Book review

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