New Order of Network Governance
New Supervision System for Internet Economy
In 2014, several Chinese Internet enterprises, such as jd.com and Alibaba, were listed in the U.S. This created financing miracles and a tide of recapitalization in China. The booming Internet economy prompted MIIT to adopt four measures last February to monitor and supervise business competition on the Internet.
The first is to strengthen research on and track new business models created through new Internet techniques and applications, and to intensify supervision of competitive behavior.
The second is to develop technological means, build a monitoring platform, early warning and forensic technology, and experiment with third-party monitoring and technical assessment.
The third is to establish a mechanism that hears, disposes, and arbitrates Internet enterprise disputes, establishes and perfects market early warning rapid response mechanisms, and improves market competition rules.
The fourth is to intensify self-regulation, enhance enterprises’ social responsibility awareness, and complete codes of practice and self-discipline pacts.
In January the State Council released a statute on strengthening supervision of shadow banking business, requiring the Central Bank and related departments to jointly formulate approaches through which to supervise on-line financial activities.
In September, the Development Research Center of the State Council held a private session on Internet finance to discuss cooperation between banks and P2P business. After explosive growth and eliminations through competition, the legality of Internet finance has been established in China. Detailed rules and regulations, however, are still being formulated. Mutual benefit and cooperation are the future that China’s financial system and new Internet blood are prudently exploring.
The State Administration for Industry and Commerce and MIIT jointly published in October a document targeting illicit operation of transactional websites and encouraging healthy and orderly development of e-commerce.
Build a New Global Network Order
The Internet has greatly promoted globalization, and there is an unprecedentedly strong demand to build a global network governance system, especially after the Edward Snowden affair.
The Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance, whose participants included representatives from 80 or more countries, such as China, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and the U.S., was held in Sao Paulo on April 23 and 24. The meeting adopted the Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet, which is expected to serve as a reference for other countries to formulate Internet governance code.
“Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations must not be built exclusively on the praise or belittlement of one particular civilization,” said President Xi in his speech on March 27 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France. He went on, “An attitude of equality and modesty is required if one wants to truly understand world civilizations. Both history and reality show that pride and prejudice are the two biggest obstacles to exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.”
On July 16, President Xi made a speech at the Brazil Congress raising the concept of information sovereignty and Internet governance. He declared China’s basic stand and viewpoint on building a global network governance system.
The first China-ASEAN Cyberspace Forum took place on September 18. Cyber space needs both connectivity and respect for sovereignty. It requires rapid development and safety, freedom and order, and independence and cooperation, Deputy Minister Lu Wei, who heads the State Internet Information Office, said at the forum. He added that China and ASEAN will deepen strategic cooperation in cyberspace, jointly building a China-ASEAN information harbor.
The formation of the Internet is a process of co-construction and sharing. Global network governance also requires that all parties jointly shoulder responsibility. No Internet development pattern exists that is applicable everywhere. China’s proposition encourages different countries’ independent exploration and development, and also promotes mutual learning and advantages, so jointly building a peaceful, safe, open, and cooperative system of Internet global governance.
DR. LIU HONGMEI is a research assistant at the Institute of Communication Studies of the Communications University of China.
