Embedded symbiosis: an institutional approach to government-business relationships in the Chinese internet industry

ABSTRACT

Studies on the Chinese internet mostly focus on how the government censors content and regulate digital platforms. We rarely know how internet companies understand, respond to and negotiate the relationship with the government. This study examines Danlan, the company that runs the world’s largest gay dating app Blued. We approach the interaction between Danlan and the government with an institutional perspective, treating them both as organizations seeking resources and legitimacy. Drawing on fieldwork, we develop the concept of embedded symbiosis, which characterizes the collaborative government-business relationship, and explore how Danlan, the seemingly weak side in this relationship, plays an active role in initiating, negotiating, and maintaining such relations at different stages of embeddedness. Danlan endeavors to form a symbiosis with the government to pursue its survival and development, yet eventually risks alienating from the gay community and colluding with the state in governing homosexuality. The case of Danlan shows the possibility for internet companies to seek legitimacy in an ever-changing political environment through working closely with the authorities and even becoming part of the governmental system itself.

KEYWORDS:

• Blued
• Chinese internet
• dating apps
• embedded symbiosis
• government-business relationship
• institutional approach

Acknowlegements

We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the editors of this special issue, Jack Qiu, Peter Yu, and Elisa Oreglia, for their constructive comments and support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China: [Grant Number 20BXW037].

Notes on contributors

Weishan Miao

Weishan Miao is an Associate Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His research interests lie in the interplay between technology, culture, and society, especially with a focus on the Global South and a commitment to issues of marginality, inequality, and social justice. His work appeared in leading journals such as Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, New Media & Society, Mobile Media & Communication, The Information Society, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Science Communication, Asian Journal of Communication, Journal of Contemporary China and Media International Australia [email: [email protected]].

Jiacheng Liu

Jiacheng Liu is a doctoral student at the Bellisario College of Communications, Penn State University. His research focuses on the intersection of gender, sexuality, and media technologies [email: [email protected]].

Shangwei Wu

Shangwei Wu is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Jinan University. His current research considers the use of media technologies in social relationships. [email: [email protected]]