Cyberspace governance to get top priority

Efforts to focus on protecting national security, sovereignty

China is committed to be a part of the ongoing discussions on cyberspace governance, but will concentrate on steps to uphold Internet sovereignty and national security, experts said.

Though China has the largest Internet population, it has also been a frequent victim of cyberattacks targeted at national security, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's Internet regulator, said.

Lu Wei, head of the administration, said that the Second World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, will be used as a platform to share and voice China's concerns and opinions on cyberspace governance. At the same time, it will also act as a bridge for guests from home and abroad to exchange views about the industry.

Lu said that the theme for this year's conference is network connections and mutual governance, adding that a peaceful, safe, stable and prosperous cyberspace is important for all countries.

"No one can be excluded from the purview of the subjects under discussion. China will undertake its responsibilities seriously and hope to achieve consensus on several issues," Lu said.

This is however, not the first time that China is reiterating its Internet commitments. In July, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech in Brazil, saying the country is willing to jointly build a multilateral, democratic and transparent Internet governance system.

China has also been improving its Internet protection mechanism through legislation.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, adopted a new National Security Law in July, which covers a wide spectrum of topics such as defense, finance, science and technology, culture and religion.

Zheng Shuna a member of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said that legal backing is essential due to the of "ever-growing security challenges".

"Externally, the nation must defend its sovereignty, security and development interests, and internally, it must maintain its political security and social stability," Zheng said.

Li Yuxiao, chief of Internet Management and Law Research Center of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication, said China must play a lead role in making international rules pertaining to cyberspace.

He said the national security legislation showed the central leadership's determination to uphold Internet governance and also represented China's determination to play a responsible role in the world.