Huang Kunming, head of the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee and a member of the CCP Politburo, delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 6th World Internet Conference.
Lianhe Zaobao [the largest Singapore-based Chinese-language newspaper] reported that, without specifying which country he was referring to, Huang was criticizing the United States. He stated, “Some countries have used national security as an excuse and have restricted and attacked other countries and enterprises. This has increased the uncertainty and even the antagonism in cyberspace.”
Huang warned, “The Cold War and zero-sum game thinking have hindered exchanges in cyberspace. Cyber hegemony and bullying behavior in cyberspace have jeopardized the mutual trust in Internet space.”
This is the second year for Huang to attend the opening ceremony of the World Internet Conference. In his speech last year, he called for “effectively safeguarding the right to development, participation, and governance of all countries in cyberspace.” This year, he took a tougher, offensive stance and emphasized the rationality of China’s development of a new generation of Internet technology to seek more space for China’s 5G technology in the international communities.
Although the World Internet Conference this year is not getting as much attention as it did in previous years, it remains an important platform for China to declare its cyber position and compete for the right to speak on global Internet space. In his keynote speech, Huang Kunming reiterated China’s vision of promoting China from a “big cyber player” to a “major cyber power.”
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, October 21, 2019
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20191021-998663