President Xi Jinping to give address on internet governance
Three-day World Internet Conference also aims to shine a spotlight on China’s “Internet Plus” strategy
President Xi Jinping will detail his views on internet governance at the second World Internet Conference (WIC) in the Zhejiang town of Wuzhen on Wednesday.
The three-day conference, opening on Wednesday, comes as both the central government and Chinese internet giants look for greater influence on the world stage in the development and security of the internet. Mainland China, with 668 million internet users, is home to the world’s biggest online population.
With the theme “An Interconnected World Shared and Governed by All – Building a Cyberspace Community of Shared Destiny”, the government-run conference will feature strategic-level discussions on global internet governance and the industry as an economic growth engine, according to the organisers.
It also aims to shine a spotlight on China’s “Internet Plus” strategy, global internet standards, local tech innovation, cybersecurity, the digital “Silk Road” and the fast-expanding worldwide e-commerce market.
Xi has outlined his main thoughts on internet governance in public recently, saying China proposes that all countries institute their own internet policies in line with their own national conditions and that it advocates the building of a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyber space.
The internet has been a boon to China’s economy, contributing 7 per cent of gross domestic product last year, up from 3.3 per cent in 2010, according to the China Internet Network Information Centre.
