China publishes white paper on 'cyberspace security', endorses ban on social networking sites

Beijing: In the last year’s international World Internet Conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping had announced that China would give utmost importance to ‘Cyber Security’. Also, the cyberspace has the same significance as the security forces do in war and an attack on it would be viewed as an attack on China’s sovereignty. Based on these grounds, China has published a ‘White Paper’ for the first time on cyber security. In the white paper, China has strongly endorsed the ban on ‘Domestic Internet’ and ‘Social Networking Sites’.

‘Safeguarding China‘s sovereignty, its internal security and cyberspace development are extremely important factors from a military point of view, claims China’s ‘Cyberspace White Paper’. This white paper has been published under the title, ‘International Strategy of Cooperation on Cyberspace’. The paper has a mention of how countries like China and Russia are trying to block external interference on internet.

The paper provides information about how China endorses the open and free internet. At the same time, it also supports the ban on social networking websites like ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’. The Foreign Affairs along with the independent body formed by China for cyberspace, jointly released the white paper.

All throughout last year, China began imposing various new prohibitions on cyberspace and foreign companies were primarily being targeted. China has maintained its aggressive stance despite displeasure being voiced from the US and Europe. It has also come to light that China has also begun attempts to gain sovereignty over cyberspace.