Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The fourth World Internet Conference (WIC) concluded last week in Wuzhen, East China's Zhejiang Province, after three days of discussions and exhibitions of cutting-edge hi-tech products. The conference yielded substantive results and further deepened dialogue and cooperation among countries. During the conference, China contributed Chinese wisdom and plans for global Internet governance, laying a solid foundation for international cooperation in cyberspace.

The rapid development of the Internet sees daily challenges and opportunities, and it is intensely felt, especially as scientific and technological achievements are released. The ET brain of Ali Cloud, Huawei 5G, quantum computing at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and big data have achieved vigorous development.

The Internet has profoundly changed human cognition, thinking and life, and it has also changed the global economic structure, interest pattern and security pattern. As the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress report put forward the concept of "promoting the deep integration of the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence and the real economy," China is now heading toward the global center with a new attitude. 

Cyberspace is not only a remarkably new world, but also full of uncertainties. The development of the Internet poses new challenges for sovereignty, security, and development interests. In cyberspace, against the complicated international situation and the threat of Internet fragmentation, all nations face similar opportunities as well as common risks and challenges. Thus, China works together with the international community to ensure the common well-being of humanity, uphold cyberspace sovereignty and also promote a fairer and more equitable global Internet governance by establishing an international Internet co-governance mechanism.

The Internet has turned the world into a global village, but it is also characterized by challenges, such as uneven development and imperfect rules. Cyber crime, intellectual property infringement and identity theft occur worldwide. Network monitoring, network attacks and cyber terrorism activities are a global headache. Other issues, such as the information gap among countries, the existing fragmented network order, the cyberspace governance rules which cannot meet the interests of most countries, network crime and terrorism indicate that Internet development is imbalanced. The only way to achieve solid Internet governance is to work together to strengthen communication, achieve consensus and deepen cooperation based on mutual respect and trust.

But how can this be done? To respect cyberspace sovereignty and carry forward the spirit of partnership, countries need to develop together, push forward together, and ensure safeguards together.

To make this possible, countries should participate in global Internet governance and face the coming risks with shared responsibility.

The international community is looking forward to hearing the Chinese voice and knowing more about China's plans, so China can't be absent from global governance. China respects cyberspace sovereignty, maintains peace and security, and promotes cooperation as it is devoted to building a new order. All these moves make up the basic framework of China's peaceful development.

From accelerating the construction of infrastructure to building online cultural exchanges and sharing platforms, from promoting the innovation and development of the online economy and the orderly development of the network to building the justified system of Internet governance, China constantly proposes plans and wisdom to the benefit of all people in the world. The initiatives that China suggested at this year's WIC, as well as at the previous conferences, have injected new connotations to the current global governance, and these carry the hope of humanity to sail far and safely.

The Internet is intangible, but its application is tangible. In the global trend of Internet development, every nation should make efforts. China is paving the way in the sphere of global Internet governance, and is seeking concrete benefits for all countries and peoples in the world.

The international community should take more effective measures to explore mutually acceptable rules, norms and principles of Internet governance and to promote multilateral and multi-party collaboration in more constructive ways.

The author is a PhD candidate at the Social and Cultural Institution, Macao University of Science and Technology and a guest fellow of the Center for China and Globalization. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn