China said here Thursday that "the information and cyberspace security represents a major nontraditional security challenge confronting the international community."
Wang Qun, Chinese ambassador for disarmament affairs, made the remarks at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly. The Committee in charge of disarmament and international security met on Wednesday on information and cyberspace security.
"At present, the information and cyberspace security represents a major nontraditional security challenge confronting the international community," Wang said. "Effective response to this challenge has become an important element of international security and a major topic for multilateral diplomacy for arms control."
In the century of information, IT and cyber technology represents advanced productivity. However, they also make people and countries more vulnerable in terms of security.
In recent years, said the ambassador, in addition to the vulnerability of its own information and cyber networks, "China has been subjected to increasing cyber attacks from abroad, which caused enormous losses to us."
"China has become one of the major victims of cyber attack," he said. "This has made us realize that the inter-connectivity of information and cyber networks has contributed to making countries of the world 'a community of common destiny' in which our security is inseparably linked together," he said.
"Maintaining information and cyberspace security is maintaining the security of the whole international community, not that of just one country," he noted.
China presses for global efforts on secure cyber space
China on Thursday called upon the international community to "work together towards a peaceful, secure and equitable information and cyber space."
Wang Qun, Chinese ambassador for disarmament affairs, made the call when addressing the First Committee of the UN General Assembly on information and cyberspace security. The Committee is in charge of disarmament and international security.
"China believes that the international community should view this issue (information and cyberspace security) from the new perspective of 'a community of common destiny' and work together towards a peaceful, secure and equitable information and cyber space," Wang said.
To this end, Wang put forward five principles which he said should be followed -- that of peace, sovereignty, balance between freedom and security in information flow, cooperation and equitable development.
"Countries should work to keep information and cyber space from becoming a new battlefield, prevent an arms race in information and cyber space, and settle disputes on this front peacefully through dialogue," he said.
He urged countries to act responsibly and constructively in information and cyber space, taking a multi-pronged approach in strengthening effective management in an effort to build a comprehensive and integrated national management system that comprises sound legal norms, self-discipline by the industries, security safeguard and social education.
With regard to balance between freedom and security in information flow, he said, "While fully respecting the rights and freedom of all stakeholders in information and cyber space, countries should uphold rule of law so as to effective keep order in information and cyber space. Practicing power politics in cyberspace in the name of cyber freedom is untenable."
Wang also urged developed countries to help developing countries enhance capacity in information and cyber technology and narrow the digital divide "to enable the latter to share the dividend brought by the development of information and cyber technology in this globalized world and this information age so as to realize genuinely equitable and universal development."
