Democratization as a Rationale for Freedom of Information Reform in China

Abstract

Freedom of Information (FOI) reform in China was conditional on the dynamics of incrementally upgrading openness practices associated with the democratization reform agenda. The gradual promotion of openness practices improved information flow in the restrictive Chinese information environment, thus increasing the Chinese government’s receptivity to an access mechanism. Government receptivity further increased after temporarily moving the concept of FOI away from an emphasis on media freedom, to an emphasis on information flow, including proactive and reactive disclosure aspect of information flow. This helped abate serious concern over the incompatibility of FOI with China’s Marxist-Leninist political system.