The Paper:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward the concept of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace. Could you talk about your understanding and perception of the concept? Thank you.

Cao Shumin:

Thanks for your question. The concept of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping is rich in content. I'd like to invite Mr. Yang Shuzhen to answer this question.

Yang Shuzhen:

The question you raised is very important, and I'm happy to take it.

At the second World Internet Conference held in December 2015, President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech, and for the first time, clearly put forward the concept of "building a community with a shared future in cyberspace." Since then, he has made in-depth interpretations of the concept on many occasions. This continuously enriched concept has an increasingly bigger influence, which has become a consensus of the international community. By studying and comprehending, I feel that this important concept can be summed up in "four sentences":

First, it is an important thought that keeps up with the changing world. The world is currently undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. On the one hand, the historical trends of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit are unstoppable. On the other hand, as hegemonic, high-handed, and bullying acts have caused serious harm to the world, the international community is facing unprecedented challenges, and the world is once again reaching a crossroads in history. General Secretary Xi Jinping, with insight into the changes in the world, the times, and the history, has clearly put forward the major concept and proposition of building a human community with a shared future. Building a community with a shared future in cyberspace is an important part of building a human community with a shared future and an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially the important thought of the general secretary on boosting China's strength in cyberspace. It provides a guideline for the international community to cope with the changes and new challenges and jointly build a community with a shared future in cyberspace. 

Second, it is a strategic goal that responds to the call of the times. At present, the new round of technological revolution represented by IT is changing with each passing day. The internet has turned the world into a "global village," and the international community has increasingly become a community with a shared future where our interests are closely intertwined. With a view of the changes in the information era, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly put forward the strategic goals of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace where we can jointly advance development, safeguard security, participate in governance, and share the benefits. He called on efforts to build the cyberspace into a community with shared development, security, responsibilities, and interests that benefits all humanity, specifying the strategic goals for building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

Third, it is the basic principle of solving practical problems. The internet has vigorously promoted the progress of human civilization, but it has also brought a series of new threats and challenges to the sovereignty, security, and development interests of all countries. Cyberspace hegemonism and power politics are emerging. Protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise. Cyber attacks and cyber crimes are becoming severe. Adopting a problem-oriented and systematic approach, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly put forward "four principles" to promote the reform of the global internet governance system, namely, respecting cyber sovereignty, safeguarding peace and security, promoting openness and cooperation, and building good order, which points out the direction and principles for building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

Fourth, it is China's proposal to enhance global well-being. The internet is a home shared by all mankind, and the future of cyberspace should be jointly created by all countries in the world. With a view on improving the well-being of all mankind, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly put forward a "five-point proposal" of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace, namely, speeding up the building of global internet infrastructure and promoting inter-connectivity; building an online platform for cultural exchange and mutual learning; promoting innovative development of the internet economy for common prosperity; maintaining cyber security and promoting orderly development; and building an internet governance system to promote equity and justice. The proposal provides us with a practical path for building a community with a shared future in cyberspace and will surely promote the development of the internet to better benefit the people in China and the rest of the world. Thank you!