(Source: China Social Sciences Network 2024-06-26)
Digital governance is an important issue facing the digital age. The global supply chain, value chain and production layout are being restructured at an accelerated pace. The development of the global digital industry, including big data, cloud computing, Internet of Things, blockchain, artificial intelligence, 5G communications and other emerging industries, has made digital globalization an inevitable trend. At the same time, we must also realize that digital globalization is a double-edged sword. It may bring dividends in the digital age as a new productive force, but it may also breed digital hegemony and digital protectionism to further widen the digital divide.
Global digital governance is an emerging field of global governance. However, there are still no mature global digital governance rules and international organizations to coordinate digital governance issues among countries. As a result, the international community has experienced a series of deficit problems such as unbalanced development, imperfect rules, and unreasonable order in the digital field. Peace deficit, development deficit, and governance deficit are serious challenges facing all mankind. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that "China actively participates in the reform and construction of the global governance system and practices the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits."
On May 14, 2017, President Xi Jinping proposed the concept of "Digital Silk Road" for the first time at the "Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum. Faced with the current unfair and unequal international digital governance order, China has always spoken out for the interests of co-building countries, promoted the co-construction of the "Digital Silk Road", and continuously contributed Chinese solutions to make up for the global digital governance structure. As the world's leading country in digital technology investment, digital application innovation, and digital product development, China's participation in the joint construction of the "Digital Silk Road" can not only promote the joint construction of national digital governance, break the monopoly of Western digital industry capital, inherit and carry forward the Silk Road spirit of "peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit," and make up for the global digital governance deficit. It can also better serve the construction of China's new development pattern, promote the integrated development of traditional w88, finance, e-commerce, and manufacturing, and open up domestic and international dual cycles. At present, the "Digital Silk Road" has achieved a series of results in promoting the "Belt and Road" joint construction of national digital governance concepts, digital material foundations, digital rules, and digital security construction.
Innovative Digital Governance Concept
Global digital governance is currently in its infancy, and it can be considered the application and extension of global governance in the digital field. The concept of digital governance involves a series of basic concepts such as concepts, positions, values, paths, operating mechanisms, and organizational methods in the global digital era. It is the most basic system of the digital economy and society. It is intangible but also deeper. For a long time, the concept of global digital governance has been dominated by Western countries with digital technology monopoly advantages and transnational monopoly digital capital. Digital capital alliances often politicize digital issues because of national interests or ideological biases. Therefore, traditional hegemonism has given rise to "digital hegemony", "digital imperialism", "digital protectionism", etc. in the digital age. The so-called "digital freedom" and "digital democracy" cannot be truly reflected in the new international digital rules. Conflicts and confrontations in the digital age arise from different concepts of digital governance.
In terms of governance subjects, based on traditional Western international relations theory, the concept of "pyramid" or "center-periphery" digital governance is generally recognized in Western countries. The governance body is dominated by Western countries, resulting in a "digital monopoly". Digital monopolies often use their advanced digital technology and industrial monopoly advantages to enforce exclusive rules, try their best to suppress the digital technology and industries of emerging countries, and undermine digital multilateralism. At the same time, the non-central distribution structure of digital networks, the ubiquity of anonymity, and emerging digital technologies such as artificial intelligence have made digital "anarchy" also pursued by many multinational capital groups. However, as global problems such as digital hackers and digital terrorism become increasingly prominent, we have discovered that this "governing by doing nothing" digital space governance model cannot achieve safe and orderly "digital freedom." It can be seen that it is difficult for a single force to achieve effective governance at all levels and at all levels. Therefore, greater digital governance can only be achieved through coordination among multiple parties and international digital cooperation.
In terms of digital governance goals and means, countries are also far apart. The global digital governance deficit faces deep-seated ethical evaluation, institutional rules, security precautions and other dilemmas. Issues such as the increasing imbalance in digital w88 and data security have become increasingly prominent. The concept of digital governance has seriously lagged behind the needs of the development of the digital age, especially the interests of developing countries have been ignored. Most of the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative are still at a stage of underdeveloped digital technology, and the strength of a single country cannot cope with strong digital discrimination.
China proposes to work together to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace and advocates the construction of international cyberspace under the guidance of the common values of all mankind. In October 2023, President Xi Jinping proposed the "Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative" in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third "Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum. This is a concrete action by China to actively practice the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and implement global development initiatives, global security initiatives, and global civilization initiatives. The joint construction of the "Digital Silk Road" is a vivid practice for China to actively implement the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind under the background of digital economic globalization.
Accelerate the governance of digital material infrastructure
The material basis of digital governance mainly refers to new digital infrastructure. It is the source of a country’s digital rules, digital security, and digital international voice. Digital infrastructure mainly involves information and communication technologies such as 5G, data centers, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and blockchain, as well as various digital platforms for shopping, entertainment, travel, and government affairs based on these technologies. In addition, traditional infrastructure that has been digitally transformed, such as smart robots, 3D printers, AR glasses, smart home appliances, autonomous driving, and other new application technologies can also be regarded as digital infrastructure. New digital infrastructure can breed digital "species", digital business formats and digital value networks based on physical foundations. Then, the existence, operating mechanism, general characteristics and governance methods of the entire national infrastructure will undergo disruptive changes.
In terms of digital material infrastructure construction, Western countries themselves have a strong technological foundation and leading advantages in application innovation. However, transnational digital giants often use their advantages such as stuck technology and platform traffic to monopolize global digital technology. They will not provide actual financial assistance to poor countries and regions with low return on investment. Instead, they build "small courtyards and high walls" to further widen the "digital divide" and aggravate digital poverty.
The “Digital Silk Road” is completely different. It does not draw boundaries based on ideology, does not seek to change the system of any country, does not engage in digital zero-sum games, and truly realizes the sharing of digital technology. In May 2016, the “Digital Silk Road” international science program (DBAR) initiated by China provided strong scientific support for the sustainable development of countries under the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. China is willing and able to leverage its advantages in new infrastructure, big data, 5G communications and other aspects to play a greater role in building a new model of global digital governance, provide digital infrastructure construction assistance to developing countries, and strengthen technology transfer and innovation collaboration.
In Africa, China and Africa jointly implement the "China-Africa Digital Innovation Partnership Plan", and China helps Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and other countries build national data centers; it cooperates with South Africa to build Africa's first 5G independent commercial network; it launches communication satellites in Nigeria, improving local communication coverage capabilities; in Egypt, Chinese companies build the "Huawei Information and Communication Technology Academy", which has trained a large number of digital technology talents for Egypt. In ASEAN, the two sides have comprehensively promoted the "China-ASEAN Information Port" and jointly built the Beidou Joint Laboratory Innovation Platform; built cloud computing centers in Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia and other countries, and established the China-ASEAN New Smart City Collaborative Innovation Center. In South Asia, China and Pakistan have clarified the direction of cooperation in information technology and science and technology under the framework of the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" and also launched the "China-Pakistan Digital Corridor"; Chinese companies have participated in the introduction of 5G technology, cloud computing center cooperation and e-commerce platform construction in Pakistan, improving the level of communication technology, promoting the upgrading of the communication industry, and promoting digital cooperation; China and Bangladesh have assisted the development of Bangladesh's digital economic infrastructure by building cloud computing centers, promoted information technology cooperation, and promoted digital development. In the Middle East, China shares digital technology development opportunities to help transform and upgrade its traditional industries. In Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan's "Luban Workshop" has set up courses on smart highways and drone rescue applications; Kyrgyzstan's online shopping is booming, and the e-commerce model has expanded sales channels and increased the connections between the two parties.
Promote digital rule governance
Currently, there are huge differences in laws and regulations in the fields of digital economy and digital information in different countries, resulting in some legal and standard frictions in international digital cooperation. The doctrine of "digital hegemony" and the doctrine of "digital protection" are rampant. This zero-sum game and the traditional Western thinking of relative gains have seriously damaged the interests of developing countries, resulting in the inability to reach consensus on digital rules on a global scale, and full of strong color of digital hegemony.
The "Digital Silk Road" adheres to the principles of consultation, co-construction, and sharing, strives to create an open, inclusive, fair, just, and non-discriminatory international digital cooperation environment, and builds a mutually beneficial and win-win international digital cooperation pattern. China mainly promotes digital rule governance among countries by creating platforms, creating mechanisms, and innovating rules.
At present, China has signed "Digital Silk Road" cooperation memorandums of understanding with many countries and established a "Silk Road e-commerce" bilateral cooperation mechanism, which has played a positive role in the establishment and improvement of high-quality investment and cooperation environment in the country's digital economy. In 2015, President Xi Jinping proposed the concept of “building a community with a shared future in cyberspace” for the first time at the Second World Internet Conference. In December 2017, China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries jointly launched the "Belt and Road" Digital Economy International Cooperation Initiative to provide guidance for strengthening digital economic cooperation and jointly building the "Digital Silk Road". In 2022, the World Internet Conference will be officially transformed into an international organization. The World Internet Conference platform has made important contributions in promoting the development of the digital economy, digital technology innovation, and the formulation of digital rules. In addition, China has held the Global Digital Economy Conference, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, etc. to discuss digital governance, digital economy, artificial intelligence and many other fields, and continues to build a bridge and stage for digital issue governance and digital cooperation and exchange around the world. In July 2023, at the Global Digital Economy Conference, Beijing and partner cities in 18 countries jointly released the "Global Digital Economy Partner City Cooperation Initiative", proposing to create an open and shared digital market environment and build an open innovation network for the digital economy. In November 2023, President Xi Jinping pointed out that “it is necessary to accelerate digital transformation, narrow the digital divide, accelerate the implementation of the APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap, support the application of new technologies such as big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, and continuously shape new momentum and new advantages for the development of the Asia-Pacific.”
Promote digital security governance
With the rapid development of digital technology, the importance of digital security has become more and more prominent in today's digital society. Digital security issues involve a wide range of areas, including international organizations, countries, governments, enterprises, and individuals. It plays a very important role in ensuring the overall security of the country, safeguarding corporate w88 secrets, ensuring fair market competition, protecting personal privacy, and preventing network hackers. Therefore, countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative need to jointly address security challenges such as data privacy, cyber attacks, and economic crimes to ensure the security and reliability of digital cooperation.
China has always attached great importance to digital security issues and actively participated in the formulation and docking of international digital security rules. my country has initially established an overall framework for the digital security system, including basic laws such as the Cybersecurity Law, Data Security Law, and Personal Information Protection Law, as well as relevant departmental regulations such as the "Cybersecurity Review Measures" and the "Data Cross-Border Security Assessment Measures".
In September 2020, at the international seminar on "Seizing Digital Opportunities and Seeking Collaborative Development", State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a keynote speech and released the "Global Data Security Initiative" (hereinafter referred to as the "Initiative"), proposing three global digital governance principles of upholding multilateralism, taking into account security development, and upholding fairness and justice. The Initiative focuses on major issues such as critical infrastructure protection, cross-border data storage and flow, puts forward constructive plans for the behavioral norms of various actors in the field of data security, and calls on all countries to jointly promote global data governance. The main contents of the "Initiative" include actively maintaining the openness, security and stability of the global supply chain; opposing the use of information technology to destroy other countries' critical infrastructure or stealing important data; taking measures to prevent and stop the use of information technology to infringe personal information, and opposing the abuse of information technology to engage in large-scale surveillance of other countries; requiring companies to respect local laws and not forcing domestic companies to store overseas data within the country; respecting the sovereignty, jurisdiction and security management rights of data of other countries; companies must not install backdoors in products and services, etc. The Initiative has been widely recognized by the countries co-building the Belt and Road Initiative and received enthusiastic response from developing countries. In March 2021, China and the League of Arab States reached the "China-Arab Data Security Cooperation Initiative"; in June 2022, China and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and others reached the "China + Five Central Asian Countries" Data Security Cooperation Initiative; in July 2023, in order to coordinate the development and security issues of artificial intelligence in emerging digital fields, China issued the "Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services" to comprehensively supervise the legislation of generative artificial intelligence. China is at the forefront of the world in establishing norms in many emerging digital governance fields such as artificial intelligence technology. China has also jointly taught digital security-related technologies with the education departments of countries that are co-building the Belt and Road Initiative, and built knowledge modules such as data security awareness, basic knowledge of data security, data security technology, data security management, and scenario-based data security governance into the training of future digital security talents, providing useful experience for the countries that are co-building the Belt and Road Initiative.
In short, the “Belt and Road” initiative has developed into a “four-in-one” connectivity of land, sea, space and network. The “Digital Silk Road”, an international public product proposed by China, has brought Chinese wisdom in regional digital governance to countries co-constructing the “Belt and Road Initiative”. The high-quality joint construction of the "Digital Silk Road" is a type of regional cooperation in the global digital era, which promotes the joint construction of national digital governance. It will make an important contribution to improving China's digital competitiveness and solving the global digital deficit problem. At the same time, we must also pay attention to the many challenges that the "Digital Silk Road" will face in the future, such as imbalances in technological development, conflicts in development concepts, differences in rules and systems, and uncertainties in digital security. These all require joint efforts by co-building countries to solve.
[Beijing Social Science Fund Project "Research on the Expansion of Domestic Demand and my country's Manufacturing Innovation and Upgrading from the Perspective of Global Value Chain" (23LLYJC105); w88 casino Graduate Research Innovation Fund Project "Research on the Path of a National Unified Market to Promote the Construction of a New Development Pattern" (202376)]
(Wang Zhimin, researcher at the National Institute for Opening up, w88 casino, director of the Institute of Globalization and Chinese Modernization, w88 casino; Chen Zhenji, w88 casino of Marxism, w88 casino)
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