More needs to be done to promote good governance in cyberspace

Global digital governance cannot ignore the important influence of sovereign states on the digital world.

Although there are no borders in cyberspace, it is collectively regulated by sovereign states, which can intervene in the generation and flow of information by controlling the generation, collection and utilization of data.

As a derivative of traditional state sovereignty, network sovereignty inevitably reflects the basic content and characteristics of traditional state sovereignty.

China should take advantage of its strengths in the digital field to put forward a “Chinese solution” for the international cyber sovereignty governance system.

It should advocate the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace. States should assume certain moral responsibilities toward other states and the international community as a whole. By entrusting each country with independent and equal sovereign status, a community with a shared future in cyberspace can lay the foundation for all countries to jointly govern and develop cyberspace and establish a multilateral and transparent international cyberspace governance system.

China should advocate equal participation, common use and goodfaith cooperation as the three principles for the governance of cyberspace, and promote international cooperation to formulate more high-level and operable international norms for acceptable behavior in the cyber realm.

Countries should work together to improve the multilateral framework of global cyber governance. All sovereign states should participate in the governance and the decision-making of cyberspace under the framework of the United Nations.

Countries need to strengthen their cooperation in the fields where consensus has been reached, such as jointly combating cyber crimes and cyber terrorism, and peacefully resolving conflicts and contradictions in the cyberspace through negotiation, mediation and arbitration.

Considering the fact that the militarization of network technology has now become a fact, it is necessary to stipulate the right of self-defense in network sovereignty on the basis of national interests in cyberspace. Due to the complexity and unpredictability of cyberattacks and the potential seriousness of their consequences, preventive self-defense behaviors in cyberspace are necessary and their legitimacy should be recognized.