Dispute Resolution and Social Governance in Digital China

Based on in-depth field research conducted in China between 2019 and 2023, this book raises a concept of “rightful control” and demonstrates a new means of dispute resolution used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through digital technology and its impact on state-society relations.

The author argues that when rightful control relies more on means beyond law and policy, it not only fails to construct an image of a responsible state but also leads to the counterproductive result of creating new conflicts that may bring social instability and threaten regime legitimacy. The study explains why digital technology could only perform a limited role in strengthening social control, which adds a new dimension to state-society relations in China from the perspective of digital governance.

The book will attract researchers and students studying law, political science, and sociology, and government personnel who focus on digital governance.

Jieren Hu is a professor at the Law School in Hangzhou City University and a visiting professor at the Faculty of Law and Sociology in Qinghai Normal University. Her research focuses on mediation, dispute resolution, and social governance in China.