Global Cyber Governance: China’s Contribution and Approach

Abstract

With the world’s largest number of netizens, China has been engaged in the ever more intense global competition for cyber governance over the past decade. Based on some preliminary studies, this article discusses China’s position, approach and contribution to global cyber governance, as well as the understanding gap on major issues between China and developed countries in the cyber arena. In the past decade, China has made significant contributions to the reform of global cyber governance utilizing a “patch-work” approach, and it will try to play a more active role as a constructive participant in global cyber governance while enhancing its own cyber capacity. Unlike many developed countries that advocate “Internet freedom,” China will continue to uphold the principle of cyber sovereignty. Yet in the meantime, China will try to work with other countries to build a “Community of Shared Future in Cyberspace,” in order to promote freedom, democracy and transparency in cyberspace in an incremental, stable and reasonable way.