Rural China in the digital era: Evolution, opportunities and challenges

ICT infrastructure development has become a profound influencing factor for rural society in addressing conventional deprivations such as geographical isolation and information asymmetry. Rooted in an entrenched urban-rural system, rural China has been marginalised and shared very little benefits from the urbanisation program in the country, where the ICT technologies are highly expected to trigger innovative development approach towards rural revitalisation. This study first delineates the development trajectories of rural society in China from a retrospective perspective, where four development stages has been identified in terms of the evolving policy and socioeconomic context against which rural society in China has been developing. Following the review of rural China’s development trajectories, this study examines the restructuring of rural society in contemporary China, and argued that rural restructuring in China is filled with volatility and complexity shaped by multi-forces and lies in multi-facets. Afterwards, the recent development of ICT infrastructures is investigated to understand how this emerging technological force is bringing innovative development opportunities to rural communities; meanwhile, the challenges faced by rural China in the digital era are critiqued.