Year-ender: State bolsters online security

Bigger role

During the inaugural World Internet Conference in Zhejiang province, Premier Li Keqiang also said that the country wants to promote an interconnected world shared by all.

Internet analysts said the comments pointed to China's evolving role in global cyberspace - from participant to leader.

Li Yuxiao, a specialist of Internet governance and law at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, said that the country has demonstrated its confidence and boldness in the development of cyberspace.

It is time for China to realize its responsibilities in cyberspace and it is necessary for it to find a role in the development of the Internet, Li said.

"I'm glad that we've upgraded cybersecurity to a national strategy. We have to set our Internet goal first and think about what strategy to take before moving on to refine our laws."

Shen Yi, an associate professor of cybersecurity at Fudan University, said the nation should have a voice in the world as its economy grows.

"We need a detailed plan," Shen said, suggesting that the government clarify its plans within three years.

"As we move into policy, we're also calling on residents to enhance awareness of cybersecurity protection," Yang said, citing the first China Cybersecurity Week event from Nov 24 to 30.

Home ground

To that effect, the country is stepping up efforts to regulate and enhance its own Internet environment, targeting online rumors, pornography, violence and terrorism-related information.

Since June, a nationwide campaign against online terrorism-related videos and audio content has been conducted under the administration's order.

Websites must provide a platform for gathering information from the public and whistleblowers, with awards of up to 100,000 yuan ($16,000) for tipoffs.

Increasingly popular instant messaging platforms are also being covered. By July, the number of people using these reached nearly 460 million, about 28.42 million more than in 2013, China Internet Network Information Center figures showed.

In August, authorities issued a rule targeting platforms like WeChat, which has more than 400 million registered users. It required users to register with real identities and tightened access to public accounts.

Under the latest rules, netizens must also provide their real names and mobile phone numbers when applying for a WeChat account, but they can still use nicknames in messaging and posting.

Similarly, a guideline for smartphone applications that also covers app stores has been on the administration's agenda since November.

Lu Wei, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, vowed to accelerate Internet-related legislation and said that the rule of law, raised by the leadership during the Fourth Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, should be worked into cyberspace.

Foreign IT products and websites for the Chinese market must similarly abide by the country's laws, Lu said at an October news conference. Those form the bottom line and aim to protect the country's security, he said.

The administration has been studying Internet-related laws, putting priority on cybersecurity in line with the national strategy, Lu said.