Full Text: International Strategy of Cooperation on Cyberspace

Chapter IV. Plan of Action

China will continue to actively participate in cyber-related international processes, enhance bilateral, regional and international dialogue and cooperation, promote international mutual trust and common development and address threats through joint efforts, with the goal of reaching universally accepted international rules and establishing a fair and reasonable global cyberspace governance system.

1. Peace and Stability in Cyberspace

China will participate in bilateral and multilateral discussions on confidence building measures, take preventive diplomatic measures, and address various cyber security threats through dialogue and consultation.

China will step up dialogue to study new threats in the cyber field that affect international peace and security, and work with others to curb the abuse of information technology and prevent arms race in cyberspace.

China will encourage the international community to discuss the peaceful nature of cyberspace and study the application of international law in cyberspace from the perspective of maintaining international security, strategic mutual trust and preventing cyber conflicts.

2. Rule-based Order in Cyberspace

As the United Nations should play a key role in formulating international rules in cyberspace, China supports the UN General Assembly to adopt resolutions regarding information and cyber security and will continue to facilitate and participate in the processes of the United Nations Governmental Groups of Experts (UNGGE) and other mechanisms.

In January 2015, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states submitted to the UN General Assembly the updated International Code of Conduct for Information Security. It is the first international paper dedicated to norms of behavior in cyberspace and an important public security product China and other SCO member states provide to support international efforts for a code of conduct in cyberspace. China will continue to enhance international dialogue to seek broader international understanding and support for this initiative.

China supports universal and equal participation by members of the international community in the discussion and consultation on cyber issues.

3. Partnership in Cyberspace

China is committed to establishing extensive cooperative partnership with all parties of the international community, expand dialogue mechanisms on cyber affairs with other countries and conduct bilateral foreign policy exchange and pragmatic cooperation.

China will continue to hold World Internet Conference (Wuzhen Summit) and other international conferences, and bilateral Internet forums with relevant countries. China will pursue discussions on cyber issues within the framework of China-Japan-Korea cyber policy consultation, ARF and Boao Forum for Asia, and expand platforms for cyber dialogue and cooperation.

China will promote practical cyber security cooperation among member states of SCO and BRICS and facilitate balanced cyber security process within ARF. It will encourage and support regional organizations to carry out cyber security cooperation, including the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization. It will advance cooperation initiatives within APEC and G20 among others in the fields of the Internet and digital economy, and explore exchange and dialogue on cyberspace with other regional organizations.

4. Reform of Global Internet Governance System

China will participate in the follow-up of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, support the international community to consolidate consensus and implement the outcomes, ensure equal sharing of the benefits of information society, and list information society building and Internet governance as important items for review.

China will push for institutional reform of the UN Internet Governance Forum to enable it to play a greater role in Internet governance, strengthen its decision-making capacity, secure steady funding, and introduce open and transparent procedures in its member election and report submission.

China will participate in international discussions on fair distribution and management of critical Internet resources. It will vigorously promote the reform of ICANN to make it a truly independent international institution, increase its representations and ensure greater openness and transparency in its decision-making and operation. China will actively participate in and contribute to activities of global Internet governance platforms, such as the"Future of the Internet"Initiative under the World Economy Forum.

5. International Cooperation on Cyber Terrorism and Cyber Crimes

Along with other countries, China will explore norms of behavior and concrete measures for international cooperation against cyber terrorism, including discussion on an international convention on combating cyber terrorism and consensus building on fighting cyber crimes and cyber terrorism, to provide the basis for law enforcement cooperation among countries.

China supports the UN Security Council to play an important part in international cooperation against cyber terrorism.

China supports and contributes to UN effort on fighting cyber crimes. China will participate in the work of the UN CCPCJ and UNGGE and promote discussion and formulation within the framework of the UN of a global legal instrument.

China will enhance regional cooperation and pursue cooperation on ICT-enabled crimes within the framework of the Asia-Pacific meeting and coordination mechanism. China will take part in cooperation within regional organizations such as the ARF, and work on arrangement among BRICS countries on fighting cyber crimes and cyber terrorism.

China will step up policy exchange and law enforcement cooperation with other countries on cyber crimes and cyber terrorism. It will explore institutionalized dialogue and communication on cyber terrorism, establish bilateral police cooperation mechanisms with other countries, improve judicial assistance mechanism and promote technology and experience sharing on fighting cyber crimes.

6. Protection of Citizens' Rights and Interests Including Privacy

China supports discussion on privacy protection at the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, and calls for establishing relevant principles for protecting individual privacy in cyberspace. China encourage countries to take measures to curb Internet-enabled infringement of individual privacy, and pursue dialogue on the practices and efforts on respecting and protecting individual privacy in cyberspace.

China will urge businesses to increase awareness of data protection and will support their effort to strengthen self-discipline and discuss best practices of individual information protection in cyberspace. Efforts will be made to facilitate cooperation between the government and businesses to safeguard individual privacy in cyberspace.

7. Digital Economy and Sharing of Digital Dividends

China will work to achieve the goal set by World Summit on the Information Society to build a people-centered, development-oriented and inclusive information society, as a way to implement the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development.

China supports Internet-based innovation and entrepreneurship, and the digitalization of industry, agriculture and the service sector. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are encouraged to apply information technologies. Efforts will be made to increase ICT investment, expand broadband access and quality, improve public skills, promote digital inclusion, enhance the availability, integrity, confidentiality and authenticity of online transactions and develop trusted, stable, and reliable Internet applications.

China supports assisting developing countries with cyber security capacity building, including technology transfer, critical information infrastructure development and personnel training, with a view to turning the digital gap into digital opportunities so that more developing countries and their people will share the benefits of Internet development.

China advocates formulating cyberspace trade rules and effective policy coordination among countries. E-business cooperation will be carried out at the international level along with greater facilitation of customs and logistic services. It is important to protect intellectual property rights and oppose trade protectionism to create a global market of the Internet and build a prosperous global Internet economy.

China supports enhanced cooperation and sharing of Internet technology. It calls for countries to work together to address technological difficulties and grow new industries and new business models through closer cooperation in network communication, mobile Internet, cloud computing, Internet of Things and big data. Personnel exchange will be further enhanced to expand the rank of professionals strong in innovation.

Keeping in mind the Belt and Road Initiative, China will encourage and support Chinese Internet companies, together with those in the manufacturing, financial and ICT sectors, to take the lead in going global, participate in international competition in line with the principle of fairness, explore international market and build cross-border industrial chain. Chinese companies will be encouraged to actively engage in capacity building of other countries and help developing countries with distance learning, remote health care and e-business among others to contribute to their social development.

8. Global Information Infrastructure Development and Protection

China will work with other countries to strengthen global information infrastructure to facilitate smooth flow of information. It will promote information infrastructure connectivity and the Belt and Road Initiative with neighboring countries and beyond, so that more countries and their people can share the development opportunities brought by the Internet.

China will promote international cooperation to raise the awareness of critical information infrastructure protection, explore a mechanism which brings governments, industries and enterprises together to share cyber security information in an orderly manner, and shore up the security and protection of critical information infrastructure and important data.

China will encourage countries to reach consensus on critical information infrastructure protection, map out specific cooperation measures and increase exchanges on legislation, experience and technology in this field.

China will promote cooperation in such areas as early warning and prevention, emergency response, technological innovation, standards and regulations and information sharing in order to increase capacity for preventing and responding to risks.

9. Exchange of Cyber Cultures

China will facilitate cyber culture cooperation among countries to leverage the strength of the Internet to showcase the progress of civilizations of all countries and peoples, enhance cultural exchange and mutual learning and enable peoples to share their feelings and deepen mutual understanding. With the animation, comic and games industry as a priority area, China will carry out practical cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road, encourage Chinese enterprises to provide cyber cultural products and services catered to local needs based on local cultural resources. Cyber culture exhibitions and trade fairs home and abroad will play an important role to help Chinese cyber products and services go global. China will support participation of Chinese enterprises in major cyber culture exhibitions and facilitate their operation overseas.

Conclusion

The 21st century is an era of the Internet and IT application. At a new historical starting point, China has set out a national strategy for cyber development, which is a major step to implement the four-pronged comprehensive strategy, attain the two centenary goals and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. China has been contributing its part to building and maintaining cyberspace. The development of China's cyber and information sector will not only benefit the Chinese people, but also contribute to a secure and growing global Internet.

While moving forward with the national strategy for cyber development, China will, guided by the vision for a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation, work with the international community to strengthen communication, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, forge partnership and build a community of shared future for mankind, thus making greater contribution to a secure, stable and prosperous cyberspace.

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China)