In traditional authoritarian China, government dominated sdominates the policy agenda, while the citizens act most of time the governments monopolize the policy making and the citizen serve as negative acceptors rather than positive makers of the public policies. In very recent years, the development of information technology equips the Chinese citizens more accessibility and ability to participate in policy making, and the governments are much more reactive than ever before.

This paper tries to explore the role of information technology in affecting the policy agenda setting in China, by analyzing three recent cases in which substantial policy adjustment happens under the strong public pressure through internet and other new media approaches. We follow those cases by collecting data through internet and newspapers, and interview with some of the key participants. Case 1 is the Xiamen paraxylene (PX) incidence in 2007 that triggers China to improve environmental assessment. Case 2 is about the activity “Take Photos to Save Children Beggar” initiated in Sina Weibo in 2013 that promotes the enactment of a new law forbidding Children abduction. Case 3 is the PM 2.5 incidence that the hot discussion on internet pushes the central and local governments begin to tackle with the air pollution in Beijing and several significant polices have been taken. The data collected by this study were analyzed using ATLAS.ti.

The findings indicate the lack of a formal democratic framework to facilitate public participation in policy making forces the citizen much more eager to opt for ad hoc way through new information technology, and a reactive authoritarian regime gradually shows up in the under-democratized China. The information technology affects the policy agenda through three channels. Firstly, it helps tackle the problem of information asymmetry. The policy process in China is kind of in “black box” before, however, now the public is more informed through new information technology and might even serves as fact-checker of the government behaviors. Secondly, it provides an effective and efficient alternative channel for policy feedback. The public could express their opinions and delivery it to government much easier and faster, so as to benefit policy adjustment. Thirdly, it serves as an organizing function that the public can be organized in a very short time and pushes the government to take certain issues on policy agenda.

Our study may contribute to the study of information technology on governance by analyzing the experience under authoritarian system.