President,

I thank you for presiding over today's meeting. I thank Secretary-General Guterres for the briefing, and thank the two experts for the presentations.

At present, we find ourselves in an unprecedented digital age where the revolution of information technology is making rapid progress, digital and cyber economies are flourishing, and the international community is seeing accelerated integration into a community with a shared future featuring intertwined interests and shared weal and woe. At the same time, risks and challenges in cyberspace are ever more serious. Cyber attacks, cyber espionage, cyber crimes, and disinformation continue unabated. Cyber terrorism has become a global public menace. Cyberspace is increasingly militarized, camp-based, and ideology-driven. And the digital divide among countries and regions continues to widen.

President,

In cyberspace, while all countries enjoy common opportunities and have common interests, they also face common challenges and bear common responsibilities. The international community should deepen exchanges, enhance mutual trust, work together, and jointly promote the governance of and the international rule-making on cyberspace. China wishes to propose the following.

First, we need to build a more peaceful and secure cyberspace. Cyberspace is deeply integrated with the physical world and is an important anchor for the development of human society. It must never become a new battlefield. A certain country designates cyberspace as a domain of military operations, develops offensive cyber military capabilities, builds cyber military alliances, and pushes for making rules of engagement in cyberspace. This will only undermine the mutual trust among countries, escalate risks of friction and conflict in cyberspace, and threaten international peace and security. All parties should abandon the zero-sum game and Cold War mentality, foster a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, firmly uphold the peaceful nature of cyberspace, effectively prevent the militarization of and an arms race in cyberspace, address threats to cybersecurity through dialogue and cooperation, and stay committed to realizing one's own security through common security.

Second, we need to build a more universally beneficial and prosperous cyberspace. Digital and cyber economies have already become major engines for global economic growth. All countries should adopt more active, open, coordinated, and inclusive policies, promote the application and popularization of ICTs, and ensure the openness, stability, and security of the ICT industrial chain, so that more countries and people can enjoy the dividends of the internet. Developed countries should help developing countries enhance digital, internet-driven and smart development, enhance the latter’s capacity for risk prevention and emergency response, and ensure equitable access to key resources such as cyber infrastructure, technologies, and computing power to minimize the digital divide and implement the 2030 SDGs. The practice of forming cliques along ideological lines, overstretching the concept of national security, erecting a digital Iron Curtain, seeking technological dominance and advantages, and even blatantly interfering with and suppressing the economic and technological development of other countries will only hinder the international community’s efforts to promote governance of cyberspace.

Third, we need to build a more equitable and orderly cyberspace. Developing international rules on cyberspace acceptable to all is key to upholding lasting peace and stability in cyberspace. All parties should earnestly abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, in particular, principles such as sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, non=use or threat of force, and peaceful settlement of disputes, and comply with and implement the UN Framework of Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace. At the same time, all parties should always uphold the role of the UN as the main channel and, on the basis of equal and extensive participation, translate long-standing international consensus into legally binding norms of behavior in cyberspace. The constructive solutions proposed by China, such as the Global AI Governance Initiative and the Global Initiative on Data Security can serve as blueprints for future rulemaking on cyberspace.

Fourth, we need to build a more equal and inclusive cyberspace. Diversity is the fundamental feature of the world and a source of human progress. The internet connects all countries, peoples, and civilizations in ways never seen before, and naturally should become an important platform for all of humanity to showcase diverse cultures and promote the development and inheritance of civilizations. We need to fully leverage ICTs, step up online exchanges in dialogue, encourage mutual understanding and amity among the people of all countries, promote tolerance and coexistence among different civilizations, and better promote the shared values of humanity. We must be vigilant against the practice of a small number of countries of imposing their own values as universal values, and even interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and disrupting their development and stability. We must resolutely oppose the use of cyberspace for spreading extremism, terrorism, disinformation, and hate speech.

President,

China is a witness to and a beneficiary of the development of the internet. Today, it is home to nearly 1.1 billion internet users. We have built the world’s largest and technologically leading cyber infrastructure and have put in place a sound policy system for cyberspace governance. In recent years, China has been actively deepening policy communication and experience sharing with the Global South, promoting practical cooperation in capacity building in areas such as infrastructure, technology, law enforcement, and emergency response, getting deeply engaged in cybersecurity processes under frameworks including the UN OEWG on ICT security, the G20, APEC, BRICS, the SCO, and the ASEAN Regional Forum, among others, and making important contributions to promoting global cyberspace governance.

The information revolution as a trend of the times is surging forward. Cyberspace carries the infinite hope of humanity for a bright future. China stands ready to work with the international community to build a more peaceful, secure, open, cooperative, and orderly cyberspace and join hands to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

Thank you, President.