Chinese citizens’ digital engagement with local mobile government platforms

Local governments worldwide are increasingly adopting mobile government (m-government) platforms to offer more accessible and convenient public services and to advance digital governance. China has been at the vanguard of this trend, with substantial investments and promotion of m-government platforms by its provincial and municipal governments. This study investigates how individual Chinese citizens engage with various local m-government platforms. Through platform analysis and 44 semi-structured interviews, we identified the interviewees’ motivations and demands for m-government app engagement, including convenience, anticipated benefits, social image improvement, and access to high-quality services. Our findings suggest that interviewees obtained diverse forms of gratification from their m-government participation, including heightened efficiency and convenience, enhanced social image, and a greater sense of safety and belonging. However, interviewees also expressed various concerns and preferences regarding different types of m-government platforms. Our research highlights that the Chinese government has strategically leveraged the COVID-19 pandemic to expedite the adoption and regular usage of local m-government platforms not only for social surveillance and control but, more prominently, to reinforce its digital governance capabilities, digital performance legitimacy, and nationwide digitization.