Successes in China-US Internet Collaboration Launch a New ‘Win-Win’ Working Model

On the list of 49 successes from President Xi Jinping’s recent American trip, six involved the Internet. The consensus reached regarding the Internet was seen as one of the biggest highlights of President Xi’s visit. During the eighth annual U.S.-China Internet Industry Forum, numerous technology companies from both sides agreed to collaborate and signed agreements valued at nearly $10 billion. President Xi and other forum attendees, including Ma Yun, Ma Huateng, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg and other Internet moguls, were photographed together. Web readers estimated the corporate net worth of everyone pictured at more than $2.5 trillion, and jokingly called it the “most expensive photo in history.”

Internet-related China-U.S. news has been the focus around the world recently, and many analysts treat the issue as a unique way to assess the China-U.S. relationship. The gathering of Internet moguls showed the industry as desperately needing deeper discussions and exchange. The signed agreements showed that the two sides need deeper and more pragmatic collaborations. Such collaborations will undoubtedly be a driving force for the market, where “win-win” is valued. The fact that China and the U.S. can reach a consensus in controlling malicious Internet activity, and that they can formulate an Internet space and national standards of behavior, establish plans to counter Internet crimes, and have other high-level dialogue mechanisms all demonstrated that the two countries are moving in the same direction, looking for common ground, and have proven that China-U.S. Internet development is a unified activity with mutual development goals, mutual interests and a mutual fate. The initial successes reached in this area will launch a new working model of “win-win,” proving not only that mutual collaboration is for mutual benefit but that the new direction is the right one.

During President Xi’s U.S. visit, he mentioned the Internet four times, and held cordial discussions with major representatives from the Internet industry Forum. He made numerous statements on the issue: that China is a firm supporter of Internet security; that the international society should formulate an Internet space that is peaceful, safe, open and collaborative, one that is based on mutual respect and trust; that China and the U.S. should begin constructive dialogue about Internet issues based on mutual respect and trust; that there is a need to create new focal points in the China-U.S. collaboration so that the Internet can better benefit the people of the two countries and the world; that China and the U.S. as Internet giants should strengthen their dialogue and collaboration; and that rivalry and friction are not the right choice. President Xi declared China’s firm stance, its treasured values, its sincere desire for peace, and its attitude of pragmatic collaboration at various important events. Such honesty and realism have broken through the barriers in the China-U.S. Internet collaboration, built a bridge for mutual collaboration, and promoted the big new power relationship between the two countries.

The six successes in the Internet arena could be seen as a snapshot of China-U.S. Internet development and collaboration. They have profoundly demonstrated that America, as a leading country in Internet technology, and China, which has the world’s largest Internet market, share a deeply realistic basis for working together, a need to search for a common ground, and a bright future for win-win collaboration. The new endeavors based on these efforts will not only produce healthy and long-term growth for the two countries’ Internet collaborations, but will build a peaceful, safe, open and collaborative Internet space for all. The citizens of the two countries will benefit, as will the rest of the world.