Like their identities in the real world, China and the United States are also two big nations in cyberspace. The US is a major player in Internet infrastructure facility research and development; China, with the world's largest online population, is a main force in Net technology applications.
The two nations have the responsibility of building the cyber communication environment. Our respective Internet information dissemination practices have shown us the many wonders of the Internet and, at the same time, its problems and conundrums.
To deal with the lessons we have learned from experience, the two nations need to expand exchanges and cooperation.
The ongoing China-US Internet Industry Forum in Beijing is a step in the right direction. The forum has brought policymakers and smart minds from the two nations together since its debut in 2007.
The Internet is broadly and deeply affecting China, while the US determines the Web's development direction in terms of core technologies and innovative solutions.
The development of the IT industry in China and the US is different and, therefore, complementary. Cooperation is essential for promoting the healthy and orderly development of the Internet industry given its global nature.
China and the US need to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation in the Internet industry while increasing exchanges and cooperation between professional Internet institutes to combat spam, viruses and pornography, so as to guarantee security and credibility.
A communication mechanism should be established based on mutual trust and close cooperation. This is crucial in order to create innovative applications, ensure the security of electronic transactions and combat online crime.
It is important to break down communication barriers, allowing exploration of the means to a better life and stimulation of an ever-higher intelligence potential.
Maintaining a safe digital network environment is the responsibility of Internet technology and content providers. The two nations, therefore, need to focus their attention on the issue of the Internet information environment. Experts and scholars of the two nations should be encouraged to conduct academic exchanges and share their research findings.
The confrontational threat of a legislative blunt instrument is not constructive. The "Global Online Freedom Act of 2007," a bill passed by a US foreign affairs committee, would make it a crime for US Internet companies to cooperate with Chinese authorities.
The Internet is supposed to act as a platform for different cultures to learn about, communicate with and understand one another in order to live in harmony.