The cyber world is at a crossroad

• Source: Global Times
• [01:28 January 26 2010]
• Comments

"No chance against China" is how Martin Jacques sums up the outcome of Google's dispute against China and Sino-US tension over the issue in his recent commentary.

The forecast from the author of the best-selling When China Rules the World assumes that the Internet would be fragmented and segmented, instead of being one big, unified global space.

What Jacques said is only partially true. There is no denying that the development of the cyber world is at a critical juncture. In its 41-year history, at no time has so much strategic importance been attached to the Web that a dispute over it is fraught with security, diplomatic and political ramifications, and even strains bilateral ties.

Yet seemingly conflicting national interests need not necessarily tear the cyber world apart.

Should concerted efforts be made by nations to seek more common ground while shelving differences, the Internet will continue to serve as a valuable driving force to propel human society forward. In contrast, taking a step backward would, in all likelihood, push the Internet into a chaotic situation vitiated by the cold war mentality.

Amid the gathering storm clouds, it would not be easy to take a step forward. With the upcoming midterm elections in the US, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's pro-vocative speech on Internet freedom is, undoubtedly, a red herring to divert public attention from the real issue of domestic economy.

Clinton's speech is also a milestone: It demonstrates that the national interests of the US and the collective political interests of the West are taking over every dimension of the cyber world. Her use of phrases such as "new information curtain" is a throwback to the cold war mentality. And Washington wants to make it clear that any attempt to reform the Internet made by developing countries would be nipped in the bud.