Mr. Chairman,

The fast growth of the information and communication technology (ICT) has exerted profound impacts on all aspects of social and economic life of mankind. There are brand new digital opportunities for the advancement of human civilization, while it has also brought unprecedented challenges. Cyber crime and terrorism have been on the rise. Cyber attacks and militarization of cyber space can diminish international security and mutual trust, and the imbalanced development of the Internet worldwide needs to be improved in a timely way.

Cyber security is of paramount importance to a country’s national economy and people's livelihood. Meanwhile, it also affects in depth the security and prosperity of the international community as a whole. Therefore, we should make joint efforts to build a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyber space. To this end, we need to adhere to the following principles:

First, the principle of peace. Countries should abide by the UN Charter and other basic norms governing international relations, and discard the zero-sum mentality and Cold War ideology. We should seek our own security through common security on the basis of full respect for other countries’ security, and ward off militarization of and arms race in cyber space.

Second, the principle of sovereignty. Countries should respect each other, and no country shall use the Internet to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs or undermine other countries’ interests. States own jurisdiction over the ICT infrastructure and activities within their territories. National governments are entitled to making public policies for the Internet based on their national conditions.

Third, the principle of co-governance. The international community should work together to manage and equitably distribute the critical resources of the Internet, with a view to building a multilateral, democratic and transparent global Internet governance system. In this process, universal participation and decision-making should be guaranteed, so that the Internet will be a place of open resources and shared responsibilities and is governed through cooperation.

Fourth, the principle of universal benefit. We need to uphold the concept of mutual benefit and enable everyone to benefit from the opportunities brought by the Internet's development and share in its achievements. We need to encourage bilateral, regional and international development cooperation. Efforts should be made to promote universal access to the Internet. In particular, assistance to developing countries should be increased to help them bridge the "digital divide".

Mr. Chairman,

The UN should play its role as the main channel of establishing the order for cyberspace. The UN GGE on Information Security provides an important platform for countries to enhance mutual understanding and explore the international norms and rules. China supports and has actively participated in the work of all previous sessions of GGE in this regard. A new GGE on Information Security was convened in July. China believes that this GGE should focus on how to convert the principle of peace into norms of behavior observed by all parties, enriching the connotation of cyber sovereignty, exploring the norms of behavior and measures against cyber terrorism, and promoting an equitable global Internet governance system.

Mr. Chairman,

China attaches great importance to cyber security and is committed to further enhancing our cyber security capacity. In February, China established the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs, making possible unified leadership and effective enforcement in the field of cyber security.

China has been dedicated to building and maintaining the order of cyberspace. We support and have actively participated in the international discussion on cyber security. In 2011, China submitted to the UN General Assembly a draft International Code of Conduct on Information Security together with Russia and other countries. We are ready to work with all parties for its improvement. In June, China and UN Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific co-hosted an international workshop on information and cyber security, providing a useful platform for in-depth discussion on cyber issues. We are ready to work with the rest of the international community to make greater contribution to building a more secure and prosperous cyberspace.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.