Xi Jinping gives speech at Cybersecurity and Informatization Work Conference

The full text of Xi Jinping’s speech has not been published. The following is a translation of the Xinhua report.

Update 26 March: the full text has been published, and a translation is available here. 

Xi Jinping Chairs Cybersecurity and Informatization Work Conference, Stresses that We Must Be One Step Ahead in Practicing New Development Ideas, and Let the Internet Enrich the Country and the People Even Better,

Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan in attendance.

CCP General Secretary, President, CMCC Chairman and Chairman of the Central Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization Xi Jinping chaired the Cybersecurity and Informatization Work Conference that was convened in Beijing on the morning of the 19th, and gave an important speech stressing that promoting our country’s economic and social development according to the development ideas of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness and sharing is the overall requirement and general trend for our country’s development in the present and future periods, the development of our country’s Internet undertaking must adapt to this general trend, we must be one step ahead in practicing new development ideas, move forward the construction of a strong Internet power, promote the development of our country’s online information undertaking, and let the Internet enrich the country and the people even better.CCP Politburo Standing Committee members and Central Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization Vice-Chairmen Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan attended the Conference.

Xi Jinping chaired the Conference, he first indicated that our country’s Internet undertaking is developing rapidly, cybersecurity and informatization work is steadily moving forward, clear progress and results have been obtained, but at the same time, a fair few shortcomings and problems still exist. The convention of this Conference is aimed at openly listening to everyone’s opinions and suggestions, jointly exploring a number of measures and methods, in order to enable us to do our work even better.

At the Conference, Wu Manqing, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Science and General Engineer of the China Electronic Science and Technology Group Co.; Xiao Xinguang, Chief Software Engineer at Antiy Labs, Xiao Xinguang; Chairman of the Board at Alibaba Group, Jack Ma; CEO at Yoyosys Limited, Yao Hongyu; Researcher at a PLA research institute in Beijing Yuan Changlin; Peking University New Media Research Department Director Xie Xinzhou; Beijing Municipal Party Committee Internet Information Office director Tong Liqiang; Huawei Director-General Ren Zhengfei; State Computer Network and Information Security Management Centre Director Huang Chenqing; and Fudan University Cyberspace Governance Research Centre Deputy Director Shen Yi made successive statements. They respectively discussed opinions and suggestions concerning realizing a new development leap through informatization, accelerating the construction of core technology systems in the area of information, the state responsibilities of Internet enterprises, realizing the deep development of military-civil convergence concerning online information, giving rein to the role of new media in concentrating a consensus, breakthroughs in information industry development and basic theories as well as core technologies for cybersecurity protection, and strengthening top-level design for the construction of technologies for cyber and information security.

Xi Jinping earnestly listened to everyone’s speeches, and frequently entered into discussion on relevant topics with the speakers. After listening to the speeches, Xi Jinping gave an important speech. He indicated that the several comrades had spoken very well, analyzed the new circumstances and new trends in Internet development at present, introduced new technologies and new trends in informatization development, and put forward good opinions and suggestions, and that he was greatly enlightened by what he heard. Your speeches reflect a pragmatic attitude, an innovative spirit and a strong sense of responsibility, they also reflect a high theoretical and practical level in the Internet area, and are very helpful to us in improving our work. Relevant departments must earnestly research everyone’s opinions and suggestions, and absorb to the greatest extent what can be absorbed.

Xi Jinping pointed out that our country has 700 million netizens; this is an extraordinary number, and an extraordinary achievement. Our country’s economic development has entered a new normal, the new normal requires new drivers, and the Internet can have great potential in this area. We must strive to promote the converged development of the Internet and the real economy, let information flows drive technology flows, financial flows, talent flows and material flows, stimulate the optimization of resource allocation, stimulate the increase of productivity of all factors, and let it play a positive role in promoting innovation and development, transforming economic development methods, and adjusting economic structures.

XI Jinping stressed that, for the online information undertaking to develop, we must implement a development ideal with people at the centre. We must adapt to the people’s expectations and needs, accelerate the universalization of informatized services, reduce applications’ costs, provide information services that the common people can use, can afford to use and can use well, in order to let hundreds of millions of people have an ever greater sense of gain in sharing in the development of the Internet.

Xi Jinping pointed out that we must build a good online ecology, and give rein to the network’s role in guiding public opinion and reflecting the popular will. To realize the “Two Centenaries” struggle objective, it is necessary that all of society acts with one heart in all aspects, and it is necessary that the people of all ethnicities in the entire nation think in the same direction, and devote their energies in the same direction. Netizens come from among the common people, once the common people went online, popular sentiment also went online. Wherever the masses are, there our leading cadres must go as well. All levels’ Party and government bodies, as well as leading cadres, must learn how to march the mass line through the network, regularly go online to look around, understand what the masses think and want, collect good ideas and good suggestions, and vigorously respond to netizens’ concerns, relieve their doubts and dispel their worries. With regard to the broad netizens, we must have more tolerance and patience, we must timely take up constructive opinions, we must timely help where there are difficulties, we must provide timely propaganda and explanation to those who don’t understand the situation, we must timely clear up matters for those with muddled understandings, we must timely resolve grievances and complaints, we must timely guide and correct mistaken viewpoints, to let the Internet become a channel to understand the masses, stay close to the masses, and get rid of worries and overcome difficulties of the masses, and let it become a new channel to carry forward the people’s democracy and accept the people’s supervision. To those online criticisms that stem from good intentions, to Internet supervision, regardless of whether they concern Party or government work, or whether they concern leading cadres individually, regardless of whether they are gentle and mild or whether they are hurtful truths, we must not only welcome them, we must also earnestly study and learn from them.

Xi Jinping stressed that cyberspace is a common spiritual garden for hundreds of millions of people. If the sky is clear and the air fresh in cyberspace, if its ecology is good, it will conform to the interest of the people. A pestilent atmosphere and a decaying ecology in cyberspace does not conform to the interest of the people. We must, in line with an attitude of responsibility towards society and towards the people, strengthen governance in cyberspace according to the law, strengthen the construction of online content, strengthen positive online propaganda, foster a positive, healthy, upward and benevolent online culture, use the Socialist core value view and the excellent civilizational achievements of humankind to nourish people’s hearts and nourish society, ensure there is plentiful positive energy, the main melody resounds, and a cyberspace with a crisp wind and a righteous atmosphere is created for the broad netizens and especially the young.

Xi Jinping pointed out that we must, as rapidly as possible, make breakthroughs in key technology. We must have determination, perseverance and focus, establish an indomitable, tenacious ambition to storm strongholds in defiance of difficulties, unwaveringly implement the innovation driving development strategy, grasp basic technology, common technology, asymmetrical technology, advanced technology, and disruptive technology, shift ever more human, material and financial resources towards key technology research and development, assemble crack forces and make strategic arrangements. The broad entrepreneurs, expert scholars and scientific and technological personnel in our country’s online information environment must establish this heroic aspiration. We must concentrate forces and do great things concerning scientific research input, vigorously promote the transformation of achievements in key technologies, promote strong linkages, coordinate tackling of key problems and explore the establishment of alliances between industry, education, research and application. It is permitted to explore targeted recruitment for leadership, publish a list of necessary crucial and key technology projects, and regardless of wherever a hero comes from, whoever has the skill will be listed for the job. New technology is an achievement of humankind’s civilizational development, as long as it benefits raising our country’s social productivity levels, or benefits the improvement of the people’s lives, we should not refuse it. The fundamental problem of key technology is the problem of basic research, if basic research is not done well, applied technologies will become water without source, or trees without roots.

Xi Jinping stressed that cybersecurity and informatization complement each other. Security is the precondition of development, development is the guarantee of security, security and development must proceed in step. We must establish a correct view of cybersecurity, accelerate the construction of security protection systems for crucial information infrastructure, all-weather and omnidirectional sensing of cybersecurity trends, and strengthen cybersecurity prevention capability and deterrence capability. Cybersecurity is for the sake of the people, cybersecurity relies on the people, safeguarding cybersecurity is the common responsibility of all of society, it requires the joint participation of government enterprises, social organizations and the broad netizens, to jointly build cybersecurity defence lines.

Xi Jinping pointed out that our country’s Internet enterprises have gone from small to large and from weak to strong, they have played a great role in stable growth, stimulating entrepreneurialism and enhancing the people’s livelihood. Enterprises have grown larger, better and more globalized, they have made great contributions to the country and the people, they are the glory of the country. We should encourage and support enterprises to become research and development centres, innovation centres and industrial centres, encourage and support enterprises to deploy advanced technologies, promote indigenous innovation in key technologies, create and grasp ever more opportunities, participate in international competition, and expand foreign development space. Governments must create a good environment for enterprise development, reduce burdens on enterprises, do away with structural and mechanistic obstacles. We must accelerate the process of Internet legislation, improve lawful supervision and management methods, and dissolve online risks.. China’s great open gate cannot be closed and will not be closed. We welcome foreign Internet enterprises, as long as they abide by our country’s laws and regulations.

Xi Jinping stressed that we must bring together the flower of all under heaven’s talent and use them, and provide powerful talent support for the development of the online information undertaking. Competition in cyberspace, in the final analysis, is competition over talent. We must further enhance our ability to bring in talent, and talent structure and mechanisms reform must make further steps forward. All levels’ Party Committees and governments must respect knowledge and respect talent from the bottom of their hearts, and create good conditions for talents to wield their intelligence and wisdom. We must bring up talents in various ways, liberate thoughts, perceive talents with acumen, love talent and cherish talent. We must have special policies for special talents, we must not demand perfection, we must not assign jobs by seniority, we must not use one yardstick to measure all. We must establish flexible talent incentive mechanisms, let talent making contributions feel a sense of achievement and a sense of gain. We must build talent structures and systems with global competitiveness. Regardless of from which country or region they come, as long as they are excellent talents, they will be usable to us.

Ma Kai, Wang Huning, Liu Qibao, Fan Changlong, Meng Jianzhu, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and Zhou Xiaochuan attended the Conference.

Members of the Central Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization, responsible comrades from relevant Central Committee and State departments, a number of provincial and municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department directors, the directors of various provincial, region and municipal Internet information offices, a responsible comrades from a number of Central news work units and Central news websites, relevant experts and scholars, and a number of responsible persons from online information enterprises attended the Conference.