Social Sciences in China, 2024

Vol. 45, No. 2, 2024

Digital Transformation and the Frontier of China’s State Governance

(Abstract)

Xiong Yihan and Liu Zhenlin

Digital transformation has emerged as a significant area of interest for scholars in global political science and public administration. The advancement of digital technologies is driving a comprehensive transformation across the economy, society, and governance, thereby profoundly affecting the state governance of China. The introduction of new technologies has altered traditional power dynamics, leading to centralization and empowerment—the power redistribution issue of the digital era, which is a fundamental concern in China’s state governance. The effects of technological power, including empowerment and disempowerment of various entities, give rise to or reinforce four secondary issues: the problem of data silos and collaborative governance in internal government operations, the challenges related to technological deficits and platform regulation in market regulation, the issues of the digital divide and social justice in social governance, and concerns about privacy, transparency, and rights asymmetry. This paper integrates specific cases from China’s digital transformation and digital government initiatives to examine these cutting- edge issues and to analyze the impact of digital government reforms implemented by local Chinese governments on traditional government theories.

Keywords: digital governance, digital transformation, state governance