ICT policy for the “socialist new countryside”—A case study of rural informatization in Guangdong, China

Providing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to rural areas often involves a complex interplay among economic development, bureaucratic systems, technical training and support. Nowhere are these dynamics more pronounced than in China, where a wide range of economic and institutional factors characterize the highly uneven state of informatization2 throughout the country.Through a case study on Guangdong Province, China, this paper offers an in-depth examination of institutional issues in rolling out advanced information services (such as Internet) in rural China. The experiences from Guangdong help identify a number of systemic issues: (1) inefficient and wasteful spending resulting from interdepartmental rivalry (2) lack of policy continuity and institutional learning (3) lack of accountability and credible measurements (4) central planning resulting in gap between services and local needs. This paper calls for more emphasis on outcome assessment and coordination. First of all, in order to reduce waste and more fully exploit the benefits of system-wide reform, the incorporation of better assessment methods into policy measures should precede large-scale network rollout. Meanwhile, high level officials should be appointed to coordinate various departments and legislation may help to achieve coordination and policy continuity.

► China's rural informatization is compromised by four systemic issues.
► Inefficient and wasteful spending resulting from interdepartmental rivalry.
► Lack of policy continuity and institutional learning.
► Lack of accountability and credible measurements.
► Central planning resulting in gap between services and local needs.