President,

I thank WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Mr. Eduardo Conrad for their briefings.

We live in a rapidly changing cyber age. While fully enjoying the development opportunities from cyberspace, we are also faced with complex and diverse cybersecurity challenges. Cyber attacks, cyber crimes, and cyber terrorism are increasingly becoming global menaces, among which ransomware is a prominent issue. 

The issue of ransomware is highly specialized and technical. It is essentially a cyber crime. China is not in favor of the hasty push by relevant Council members to discuss the issue at the Security Council, and hopes that all parties can engage in more specialized, practical, and in-depth discussions on other more appropriate platforms. Just now, the briefers and some members listed examples of ransomware attacks in their statements. China advocates that the international community should analyze and address the issue in its multiple dimensions, such as the sources of ransomware, the pathways for their spread, and the channels for monetization. And we propose that countries should step up information sharing and technical, law enforcement, and judicial cooperation for a joint response. 

President, 

Ransomware is just one of the many challenges to cybersecurity. Other types of cyber attacks, such as phishing, cloud system intrusion, theft of personal data, and DDoS attacks are also growing rapidly with the modus operandi of cyber crimes getting more diverse and systematic. China stands for strengthening governance and maintaining lasting peace and stability in cyberspace. To this end, we call on all parties to make efforts in the following aspects. 

First, firmly upholding the peaceful nature of cyberspace. We should oppose wrong practices such as defining cyberspace as a domain for military operations, making rules of engagement in cyberspace, building cyber military alliances, or listing the critical infrastructure of other countries for cyber strikes, and reject the militarization and arms race in cyberspace, so as to fundamentally curb the development and proliferation of offensive cyber technologies, including ransomware. 

Second, upholding the role of the UN as the main channel. We should, on the basis of broad and equal participation, formulate international rules on cyberspace generally acceptable to all parties, abandon the small circles drawn along ideological lines, build a multilateral, transparent, and democratic global governance system, and jointly safeguard the cybersecurity of all countries. 

Third, adhering to bilateral and multilateral cooperation to combat cyber crime and cyber terrorism. We should comprehensively combat the entire chains of relevant unlawful acts and further improve the law enforcement and judicial assistance mechanisms of all countries. In this regard, China welcomes the convention against cyber crime concluded by the UN in August this year. 

Fourth, stepping up assistance to developing countries to build capacity for maintaining cybersecurity. We should actively engage in international cooperation in areas such as talent cultivation, technological innovation, early warning and prevention, and emergency response, shore up the weak links in global cybersecurity, leave no country behind, and allow no part of cyberspace to become a lawless space. 

President, 

Cyberspace bears on peace and security and people’s livelihood and well-being. China stands ready to work with the international community to jointly explore responses to cybersecurity threats and challenges and make tireless efforts to uphold prosperity and stability in the global cyberspace and build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

Thank you, President.