UNITED NATIONS - China on Thursday called upon the international community to "work together towards a peaceful, secure and equitable information and cyber space."    

Wang Qun, Chinese ambassador for disarmament affairs, made the call when addressing the First Committee of the UN General Assembly on information and cyberspace security. The Committee is in charge of disarmament and international security.

"China believes that the international community should view this issue (information and cyberspace security) from the new perspective of 'a community of common destiny' and work together towards a peaceful, secure and equitable information and cyber space," Wang said.  

To this end, Wang put forward five principles which he said should be followed - that of peace, sovereignty, balance between freedom and security in information flow, cooperation and equitable development.      

"Countries should work to keep information and cyber space from becoming a new battlefield, prevent an arms race in information and cyber space, and settle disputes on this front peacefully through dialogue," he said.

He urged countries to act responsibly and constructively in information and cyber space, taking a multi-pronged approach in strengthening effective management in an effort to build a comprehensive and integrated national management system that comprises sound legal norms, self-discipline by the industries, security safeguard and social education.

With regard to balance between freedom and security in information flow, he said, "While fully respecting the rights and freedom of all stakeholders in information and cyber space, countries should uphold rule of law so as to effective keep order in information and cyber space. Practicing power politics in cyberspace in the name of cyber freedom is untenable."

Wang also urged developed countries to help developing countries enhance capacity in information and cyber technology and narrow the digital divide "to enable the latter to share the dividend brought by the development of information and cyber technology in this globalized world and this information age so as to realize genuinely equitable and universal development."