Commentary: China is a Staunch Defender of Cybersecurity

President Xi Jinping attends 8th U.S.-China Internet Industry Forum in Seattle on September 23, 2015.

Defending cyber security feeds to the needs of the whole world. How shall the world collaborate on this issue? With strong online presences, China and the United States need to seek consensus and work together on this issue.

"The international community needs to build up a safe, open, collaborative and peaceful cyber space based on mutual respect and trust," said President Xi Jinping in Seattle, stressing China's standing during his state visit to the United States. “China is ready to set up a high-level joint dialogue mechanism with the United States on fighting cybercrimes.” Xi's remarks showcased China, as a country willing to take responsibility in the global community, is ready to guard cyber security and bring its cooperation with other countries to a new level.

As one of the greatest inventions in the 20th Century, the Internet is embraced by China from the start. Internet has gone through development in China by leaps and bounds. Chinese government works hard on this development. China currently tops the world in Internet users’ amount. Among over 3 billion Internet users across the globe, one in five comes from China. The Internet changed Chinese people's lives and has improved Chinese society. Meanwhile, China is also the major target of cyber-attacks, suffering all kinds of cyber thefts and hackings. Law in China also regulates cyber-space. To ensure a safe online environment, China proposes to draft Internet regulation policies based on every country's different situations. This is to protect the Internet users' interests, as well as the nation's sovereignty, security, and interests.

From legislation enhancement and "Clean the Internet Campaign", to submitting the International Code of Conduct for Information Security to the UN General Assembly, China has stood firmly on the front line of guarding cyber security and better regulating the cyber-space. During the "Clean the Internet Campaign" held in July 2015, over 7,400 incidents related to cybercrimes were reported by the Chinese police. These actions China has taken on not only has enhanced the cyber community, but also has demonstrated how China is protecting the Internet world according to the law and regulations. This is also to show how China takes up the responsibility to safeguard the global cyber-space.

Internet is born in the U.S., who also enjoys a great advantage in infrastructure and technologies over other countries. China, on the other hand, has the largest user population, which provides a vast market and consequently the development opportunities for companies around the world. The U.S. stock market is where a vast majority of Chinese Information and Technology companies go on public in. Nearly 50 Chinese IT companies are listed in the U.S. stock market, with a total worth of nearly $ 500 billion. China is the biggest overseas market for American IT companies, which invested a great deal in China. Nearly 1,000 U.S. investment funds' money has gone to Chinese high-tech companies, which accounts for over half of all their investments abroad. China and the U.S. share common interests in cyber space. Despite the differences and conflicts, Sino-U.S. relationship in the cyber world shall focus on the two countries’ common interests.

"China-U.S. relationship sees benefits in cooperation, detriments in disputes," said President Xi. This sort of statement can also be applied to the Sino-U.S. relation in the cyber sphere. What U.S. has been saying about China's cyber security is far from justifiable. The so-called "sanction" based on this accusation is thus coming from nowhere. It takes mutual trust and patience to settle the differences and conflicts. Trust brings about better communications between China and the U.S. Patience can settle the problems in development and can transform the differences to common understandings. Both China and the U.S. are facing cyber-attacks. The two countries share same interests, which furthermore bring along possibilities for cooperation. Facing the challenges together is the foundation of the dialogue, communication and cooperation between China and the U.S. The two countries need to build a multilateral, democratic and transparent international cyber management system.

The Internet brings unprecedented connection and reliance among countries, making cyber security a challenge for all. No nation is an isolated island. Collaboration is the only solution to the problems. When the largest developed country and the largest developing country trust each other and work together, the most advanced information technology will enter the biggest market, creating profound base for global cyber security. China and the U.S. to march together in the development of cyber security will not only inject new incentive into building up a better Sino-U.S. relationship, but will also make a positive example for the world. 

(Translated from Commentary 《中国是网络安全的坚定维护者》, published on People's Daily, Sept. 26, 2015)