China: Hold the cyber security 'key' in its own hands

Facebook's recent data leak scandal has caused a huge public outcry. Data analysis company Cambridge Analytica accessed information from at least 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge. The leaked data was allegedly used to predict and influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. While the Facebook scandal was still unfolding, the U.S. Commerce Department imposed a seven-year ban on sales of components to ZTE, China's second largest telecom equipment maker, on April 16.

The sales ban is yet another action taken by Washington amid rising trade tensions with China. Its goal is to slow China's development in the information industry. It looks like a trade measure but it's actually a political one. 

The United States boasts the most advanced internet technologies in the world. Home to many big monopolies, it possesses many core information technologies. As a result, it's self-confident and capable enough to use the technologies for commercial benefits, impede the development of other countries, and even threaten their national security. 

In the Information Era, a few clicks on a keyboard can result in a widespread regional power outage. If key computer systems in the financial, energy, power, telecommunication, transportation or other crucial industries were invaded, the consequences would be disastrous. The surveillance program "Prism" disclosed by Edward Snowden only showed us the tip of the iceberg. In the future, the internet will inevitably play a bigger and bigger role in national security.      

Since China was first connected to the internet in 1994, the internet has rapidly developed in the country over the past 20 years and, in particular, many new technologies and achievements in recent years have been remarkable. However, there remains a large gap in terms of core technologies, which is the reason why China has been regularly emphasizing its own control over its internet security and information development. At a national conference on the work of cyber security and information held from April 20 to 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of innovation and called for building the country's strength in cyberspace.

The U.S. sanctions on ZTE are no doubt an alarm for China.

The design and production of chips require many steps that need to be improved upon and cannot be fulfilled with a single stroke. Nor can core technologies of the internet be developed in a single day. However, an old Chinese expression says like one can have the courage to mend one's ways and strive to make new progress with the awareness of shame. For China, the most terrible thing is not the challenges, but the failure to realize the advent of the challenges. As the Chinese government continues to open up to the outside world and work with other countries to promote economic growth, it is also important for China to hold the key to cyber security in its own hands.

China Mosaic 
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

China: Hold the cyber security 'key' in its own hands
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2018-04/24/content_50957558.htm

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