World Internet Conference Charts New Course

THE Second World Internet Conference kicked off in Wuzhen, east China’s Zhejiang Province on December 16, 2015. Under the theme of “An interconnected world shared and governed by all – building a community of common future in cyberspace,”the three-day event drew more than 2,000 participants from 120 countries and regions.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on all nations to respect cyber sovereignty and not to engage in“Internet hegemony.” The president also urged complementary cooperation in cyberspace to enable more people to benefit from the opportunities that the Internet brings.

Xi said that sovereign equality, one of the basic norms of contemporary international relations enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, should also be applicable to cyberspace.

The president listed “imbalanced development, inadequate rules, and inequitable order” as problems and challenges facing the Internet. He urged for “reform of global Internet governance,”saying that all countries should foster “a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyberspace.”

Xi called for efforts to speed up the building of global cyber infrastructure to allow more developing countries and their peoples to share the development opportunities that the Internet brings. He moreover pointed out that the robust growth of China’s Internet has provided a big market for enterprises and business start-ups in all countries, and pledged that China will remain open to foreign investment and guarantee foreign companies’ legal rights.

With around 670 million users and more than 4.13 million websites in China, the Internet and socio-economic development have become intrinsically linked. “Safeguarding the legal rights of foreign-invested businesses will not change,”Xi said.

During the conference, participants joined in 10 sub-forums that addressed such topics as global Internet governance, cyber-security, Internet Plus for sustainable development, Internet intellectual property rights, technology innovations, and Internet philosophy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the Second World Internet Conference.

The 2015 World Internet Conference unveils in the scenic water town of Wuzhen in east China’s Zhejiang Province on December 16, 2015.

Heads of major IT companies take part in the sub-forum on December 17, 2015 focusing on building a community of common future in cyberspace.

Jack Ma, CEO and founder of the Alibaba Group, is interviewed during the event.

More than 2,000 participants attend the Second World Internet Conference.