Regulating network communication in Asia: a different balancing act?

Because of often conflicting policy objectives, whether, and how, to regulate network communication has become an art of seeking the best balance. One of the most notable controversies has been balancing between freedom of expression and the need to protect the public from harmful materials. As policy objectives and priorities are set by the political, economic, social and cultural contexts in which laws and regulations are formulated and carried out, policymakers may be caught by different sets of conflicting concerns and end up with solutions which are unique to a particular situation. Using China and Singaphore, this article examines two East Asian examples of balancing two East Asian examples of balancing between economic growth, national sovereignty and social harmony, and the implications of such measures for policy research. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All right reserved.