The Digital Masons: Technology Providers and Social Credit System Construction in China

Pierre Sel

doi:10.1007/s11366-024-09905-2

The Digital Masons: Technology Providers and Social Credit System Construction in China

Pierre Sel

Department of East Asian Studies

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

China’s Social Credit System Projects (SCSP) rely on dedicated digital infrastructure and as such can be considered as e-government projects. This study offers a preliminary analysis of companies who were tasked to construct and operate the SCSP’s databases. Building upon 500 public procurement notices from 2018 to 2023 across various administrative levels and provinces in China, the findings show a fragmented social credit construction market. In this market, small and medium-sized companies, both non-state and state-owned, compete to provide database services to local governments without any single firm dominating. This exploratory study illuminates the intricate dynamics and competitive landscape of digital government construction in China. It provides insights into the dynamics of public-private collaboration in China and the political economy of digital governance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	395-420
Number of pages	26
Journal	Journal of Chinese Political Science
Volume	30
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-024-09905-2
Publication status	Published - 31 Jan 2025

Funding

Open access funding provided by University of Vienna. This work was funded by the European Research Council (Grant number: 101001964).

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

506002 E-government

Keywords

Corporate actors
Social Credit System
Public procurement
China digital state
E-government

Access to Document

10.1007/s11366-024-09905-2Licence: CC BY 4.0

https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:2333029Licence: CC BY 4.0

Cite this

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The Digital Masons: Technology Providers and Social Credit System Construction in China

Abstract

Funding

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

Access to Document

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ENGINEERING: Engineering a Trustworthy Society: The Evolution, Perception and Impact of China's Social Credit System

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