Chinese general calls for international cyber space rules

 BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, on Monday urged the international community to make joint¹ efforts to formulate² rules for cyber space as the world is faced with "grim" challenges concerning online risk.

 

Ma made the remarks at a symposium³ titled "Cyber Security: China and the World" held in Beijing. The meeting, attended by over 80 experts from more than 20 countries, was sponsored by the China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS) and the Hong Kong-based Katie Chan Foundation.

 

The issue of cyber security has been creeping from the virtual world to the real world with the development of information technology and the popularization of the Internet, said Ma, also president of the CIISS.

 

"It has posed new challenges for the security of all nations as well as international security," he added.

 

As the Internet is open and transnational, no country can effectively address the global challenge single-handedly, in the view of the Chinese general.

 

However, the world does not yet have any set of widely recognized and accepted rules applicable to the area, a gap which has restrained the healthy development of the online community and the effective management of the Internet, he explained.

 

Ma said China, in partnership⁴ with other countries, has put forward a draft international code on information security to the United Nations to initiate⁵ an open and inclusive process of discussion on the issue.

 

China is not only a beneficiary of the development of the Internet, but also a victim of cyber attacks, according to the general.

 

All nations should seek common ground while reserving differences and boost exchanges and cooperation to address the issue of cyber security "just as we address international political disputes in the real world," he told the audience at the event.

 

Later on Monday, Chen Zhili, vice⁶ chairwoman of the Standing⁷ Committee of China's National People's Congress, met with the symposium's foreign participants.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 formulate   

v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述

参考例句：

• He took care to formulate his reply very clearly.他字斟句酌，清楚地做了回答。
• I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas.他陈述观点的方式让我印象深刻。

3 symposium   

n.讨论会，专题报告会；专题论文集

参考例句：

• What have you learned from the symposium?你参加了这次科学讨论会有什么体会？
• The specialists and scholars present at the symposium come from all corners of the country.出席研讨会的专家学者们来自全国各地。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。