China’s president, Xi Jinping gave a speech three days ago at the World Internet Conference, held in Wuzhen, in which he defended the right of governments to regulate the internet according to their countries’ traditions, religion, or their own political agenda. In his speech, the Chinese president also justified the existence of developments such as the Golden Shield Project, begun in 1998 to censor and monitor the internet in China.
Supported by leaders such as Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev, the president of Pakistan, and the prime ministers of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kirghizstan, Xi Jinping argued in favor of:
“… the right of individual countries to independently choose their own path of cyber development, model of cyber regulation, and participate in international cyberspace governance on an equal footing. No country should pursue cyber hegemony, interfere in other countries’ internal affairs or engage in, connive at or support cyber activities that undermine other countries’ national security.”
The speech reflects the position of governments that see the free movement of information…
