News & Publications

Carter Center-Sponsored Web Site Redesigned
to Engage China's Youth 

Oct. 5, 2009 

After seven years online, the Carter Center sponsored-Web site www.chinaelections.org is one of the most visible platforms in China for the dissemination of democratic awareness and civic culture. The site, which receives a robust 65,000 visits per day, was recently redesigned to attract younger people and to expand its focus on global elections.

"We want our site to be the source for young people in China to discuss their country's political future, engage in vibrant discussions, and read different points of view on what is happening in their country and around the world," said Yawei Liu, China Program director at The Carter Center.

The redesigned Chinese-language site encourages visitors to submit original content through blogs and commentary and also features a stronger usage of images and interactive graphics. The expanded content on global elections is intended to share one of the Carter Center's areas of expertise – international election observation – with a new, younger audience.

"The goal is for our Chinese readers to be more aware of how elections have changed development models and governance structures in other parts of the world," said Liu. "We hope they question if China can sustain its economic development, reduce corruption, and strengthen the legitimacy of the government without introducing a new system of choice and accountability."

Xiao Rui, a 27-year-old law student and part-time editor for www.chinaelections.org, thinks the Web site is important in a time when the Internet is changing public lives around the world.

"Being part of a Web site that aims to promote China's political reform is extremely rewarding for someone who wishes to help build a more just society and a more democratic country," he said.

The Web site's six editors and many volunteers in China research and upload articles as well as write their own commentary. They also must adapt to the changing political atmosphere and respond strategically to China's censorship requirements, removing any articles deemed too sensitive. Hundreds of articles have been taken down in the past seven years.

"The most challenging part of my job is to maintain the balance between the survival of the Web site and the impact it has on the society," said Rui. "China has very strict censorship regulations and many Web sites that failed to strategically cope with the government's requirements have faced suspension or complete shutdown."

The redesigned www.chinaelections.org links to all Carter Center sponsored Web sites in China, which include:

• www.chinaelections.net – English language version of www.chinaelections.org. This Web site was redesigned last year to focus on articles and analyses on China's political development from program staff, interns, and scholars both inside and outside China.
  
• www.chinarural.org – facilitates the administration of local elections and the participation of rural residents in governance.
  
• www.chinatransparency.org – an Internet clearinghouse that includes the latest developments related to the country's Open Government Information Regulations and comparative studies of successful access to information practices in other nations.