National sovereignty applies to cyberspace

By Tang Lan
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China Daily, April 20, 2016
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In practice, states take legal, judicial, as well as administrative measures to fight illegal activities in cyberspace and defend their own cyber and state security.

Most states hold zero-tolerance to those seeking to violate national security using the internet.

Especially since terrorism has become more rampant. One after another, states have strengthened their regulation over cyberspace, so as to prevent it from serving the aims of terrorists. Europol has already founded a special group to close the social media accounts of radicals, while many European nations have been more strictly regulating the internet.

In the face of such threats, national interests must be defended and national sovereignty is necessary to do that. Therefore, any state must be able to decide what measures to take when it comes to defending their national interests in cyberspace.

Of course, the characteristics of cyberspace, especially the cross-border flows of information have brought uncertainties. There are divergences over how to apply jurisdiction in cyberspace and how to use state power to protect national sovereignty.

As a global cyber power, China is trying to set a good example for other nations by applying the sovereignty principle in cyberspace.

At the second World Internet Congress held in Wuzhen, China, on Dec 16 to 18, last year, President Xi Jinping proposed respect for national sovereignty as the first principle of global internet governance.

China's National Security Law, which came into effect last July, also decrees that the Chinese government must take measures to protect national sovereignty, security, and development interests in cyberspace.

China is leading the way in applying the principle of national sovereignty in cyberspace, which will help promote the application of the rules of international governance to cyberspace.

The author is a senior researcher on information technology and social development at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

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