E-Government in China: Status, Challenges, and Progress

Abstract

E-government has made good achievements in China and played a major role in improving administrative institutions and provision of public services. In China, the applications of e-government increased since 2001. The application of e-government in China was intended, in part, to accelerate the government's pace of implementing and using information and communications technologies (ICTs) to improve administrative efficiency and effectiveness and, through this administrative reform, to promote economic development and the administrative capacity (Hongguan Tiaokong Nengli) of the central government in China. While Chinese leaders also emphasize the importance of providing a better quality of public services to their citizens, the major goal of e-government seems to be interestingly different than in western countries. Some critical problems have arisen at the same time as in many other developing countries, such as institutional inertia, over expenditure, lack of use, lack of knowledge, lack of infrastructure, asymmetry of regional development, etc. China should consider formulating effective e-government policy as well as creating an institutional mechanism in various government departments for integrating and sharing e-government applications across provinces and local governments. This could prove especially helpful to those citizens who are living in the less developed regions and provinces lacking e-government delivery of public services.