Wang Qun, Director of the Arms Control Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published a signed article entitled ＂China and the United States should work together to promote a rules-based glo
On May 11, 2016, Wang Qun, Director of the Arms Control Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published a signed article entitled "Common Interests and Responsibilities: China and the United States should work together to promote a rules-based global cyberspace" in the Huffington Post. The full text is as follows:
On May 11th, the first meeting of the China-US high-level expert group on international rules of cyberspace was successfully held in Washington. This is not only a solid step for the two sides to implement the important consensus on cybersecurity reached by the Supreme Leader during his visit to the United States last September, but also an important step for the two sides to jointly promote global governance of cyberspace.
China and the United States share common interests in cyberspace.
As the two largest economies in the world, China and the United States are also the biggest beneficiaries of the rapid development of information technology, and they have broad common interests in promoting global governance of cyberspace through cooperation.
In today’s world, network and reality are closely linked. Information technology represented by the Internet has brought about another qualitative leap in productivity and led new changes in social production. In particular, technological innovations and changes such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and 3D printing have driven global economic growth.
Both China and the United States are cyber powers, and the proportion of digital economy in their respective GDP is rising. At the same time, the two countries have each other in cyberspace, forming an inseparable community of interests.
There are nearly 700 million netizens and more than 60,000 information technology enterprises in China, including nearly 50 China information technology enterprises listed in the United States, such as Alibaba and Tencent, with a total market value of nearly 500 billion US dollars. The United States has also shared the dividend of China’s digital economy growth. There are more than 2,500 information technology companies in the United States investing in China, and almost all well-known information technology companies in the United States enjoy huge profits in China. Half of Qualcomm’s profits come from China, and half of the new users of Apple devices come from China.
While making contributions to their respective economies, Chinese and American information technology enterprises are constantly promoting the in-depth development of bilateral cooperation. Network economy and technical cooperation itself have become the "blue ocean" of Sino-US cooperation.
At present, Sino-US cooperation in this field is more important and necessary. China’s economic development has entered a new normal, which requires a new driving force, and the Internet can do a lot. China is vigorously implementing the strategy of strengthening the country by network, the national big data strategy and the "internet plus" action plan. The Internet and the real economy are deeply integrated and developed, and the transformation of economic development mode and adjustment of economic structure are promoted.
Similarly, the economic recovery and competitiveness of the United States also need to vigorously develop the digital economy and strengthen the digital cooperation between China and the United States. In the past 30 years, the growth rate of digital industry in the United States is five times that of traditional industries. In 2015, the total output value of the digital economy in the United States has accounted for 4.7% of the GDP, making it one of the most dynamic and growing areas in the United States.
The cooperation between China and the United States in this field conforms to the common interests of the two countries, and at the same time helps to promote the sustainable development of global cyberspace and promote the progress of human society in all directions.
China and the United States face common challenges in cyberspace
Internet brings huge digital opportunities and dividends to global economic and social development, but also brings unprecedented challenges. From a global perspective, the threats and risks of network security are increasingly prominent, and they are increasingly penetrating into political, economic, cultural, social, national defense and other fields. China and the United States face many common challenges, especially:
— — Internet infringes on personal privacy and intellectual property rights from time to time, and cyber attacks and cyber crimes have increased substantially. This damages the rights and interests of people of all countries, national economic interests and social innovation and development. On average, China websites suffer nearly 400 large-scale cyber attacks every day, especially the number of cyber attacks originating from abroad continues to rise rapidly. The United States has also suffered a large number of network intrusions, including both cyber crimes and cyber spies.
— — Cyber terrorism has become a global public hazard, endangering the public safety of all countries and causing great harm. The combination of terrorism and Internet is the main source of current violent terrorist activities. Terrorist forces such as "Islamic State" and "East Turkistan" regard the audio and video of terrorist network as an important tool to spread extreme ideas and teach the means of terrorist attacks, and organize, plan and implement terrorist attacks through the network.
— — Cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure. Once this happens, it will pose an important threat to the national economy and people’s livelihood. The key infrastructure in the fields of finance, electric power, communication and transportation is the nerve center of economic and social operation and the top priority of network security. If there is no problem, it will be enough. If there is a problem, it may lead to traffic disruption, financial turmoil, power paralysis and other problems, which is very destructive and lethal.
China and the United States share common responsibilities in cyberspace.
In the face of the above challenges, China and the United States can only help each other in the same boat, work together and jointly cope with it. There is no other way. In cyberspace, no country can be immune. Promoting global governance of cyberspace is also the common responsibility of China and the United States.
China and the United States do not agree on everything on the issue of cyber security, but this should not affect the cooperation between the two sides. Blaming each other won’t solve the problem.
If China and the United States cooperate, cyberspace will be unified and prosperous; On the contrary, cyberspace will be divided and withered. During President Supreme Leader’s visit to the United States in September last year, the two sides reached an important consensus on jointly cracking down on cybercrime, which is a successful example of both sides turning their doubts into dialogue and reconciling differences with cooperation.
Both China and the United States agree that cyberspace is not an "extra-legal place"
Cyberspace is a new thing, but it is by no means an "extra-legal place". It should not become a hotbed of illegal crimes, let alone a battlefield for countries to wrestle. Therefore, according to the characteristics of cyberspace, a new thing, we should abandon our preconceptions, study the application of existing international law realistically and clarify related issues; At the same time, according to the needs of new forms, starting with the international rules of cyberspace, we should gradually promote the process of legal construction of cyberspace within the framework of the United Nations.
Cyberspace is a common space for human activities, and cyber security concerns the sovereignty, security and development interests of all countries. China advocates governing cyberspace with the basic principles of peace, sovereignty, co-governance and universal benefit.
China and the United States shoulder the common goal of working together to promote global governance of cyberspace.
Global governance of cyberspace is the common responsibility of China and the United States. The first meeting of the China-US high-level expert group on international rules for cyberspace just held on May 11th was very timely. China and the United States should continue to strengthen dialogue and make cyber security cooperation a new bright spot in bilateral relations. At the same time, China and the United States should demonstrate the role of big countries, play a leading role, promote the international rules of cyberspace, and jointly build a cyberspace of peace, security, openness and cooperation, so that it can better benefit people of all countries and safeguard international peace, security and stability.