The fast pace of development of the Internet over the past decade has helped more and more Chinese to express their views more freely, without the constraints of the real world. This freedom has also prompted some netizens to be more straightforward in evaluating government policies or downright critical of them. Of course sometimes some netizens lash out at their targets, imaginary and real, and spread unverified — even false — information on the Internet.

But after years of government efforts to regulate the Internet, including a crackdown on rumormongers, Chinese netizens as a whole have become a more matured and rational group as far as communications and interactions are concerned. They have arguably played a positive (at least less negative) role in taking forward discussions on State affairs and in offering suggestions, as indicated by regular government moves to solicit public opinions through the Internet before adopting policies.

It is true that compared with in the real world, people are usually more critical in their views in cyberspace. But that does not necessarily mean they have ill intentions or are unpatriotic. In fact, the increasing number of critical appreciations that netizens have been coming up with shows that they are paying greater attention to public affairs and have higher expectations of social progress. Their increasing numbers have made netizens an important part of public monitoring over government work.

Therefore, there is no need for worry unnecessarily about their straightforward views and criticisms. The praise and criticism both pass positive energy in the increasingly plural society.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily