On September 20th, 2016, the “International Law Seminar on Cyberspace Governance”, conducted by Advisory Committee for National Informatization, undertaken by Wuhan University School of Law and the Institute of International Law, was held at Wuhan University Law School. Nearly 30 people who are leading officials from Office of Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other substantive departments and well-known scholars from relevant universities and research institutions gathered in the beautiful Wuhan University to discuss in depth the theme of "Internet space international law research and team building".

This meeting has a total of four units. In the first unit, Vice-President Zhou Yezhong first gave a speech on behalf of Wuhan University. He expressed warm welcome to the arrival of experts and leaders, and gave a brief introduction to Wuhan University from five aspects: historical development, discipline construction, cultural heritage, reform and innovation, and campus landscape. President Zhou also pointed out that cyberspace is the fifth largest space facing humanity. We should govern the cyberspace through corresponding rules. The significance of this meeting is to jointly discuss the cyberspace for the country through the in-depth exchanges between the participating experts and the substantive departments and advise and make due contributions to the better representation of Chinese discourse rights in the international legislative activities of cyberspace as well. Shan Lipo, the Inspector and Deputy Secretary-General of Advisory Committee for National Informatization, expressed his gratitude to the attending experts for the meeting. He pointed out that the goal of this meeting is to promote the integration of cyberspace research and international law research, and promote the development of international cyberspace law into deeper level. He also introduced the role of international law in the international governance of cyberspace in conjunction with the practical work of Advisory Committee for National Informatization. Professor Li Ming, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Society of International Law and Director of the Institute of International Law of Peking University, congratulated the China Society of International Law on the convening of this conference and pointed out that cyberspace is an emerging field, and international law on cyberspace is being formed in the network. In the international legislative process of space, attention should be paid to the promotion of China’s right to speak. He also pointed out that the development of international law is a game process. Legislation based on abstract principles and the positions of all parties are reflected in the legislation to a certain extent, which may help to ease the conflicts of interests of all parties, thus facilitating the promotion of international cyberspace legislative process. Finally, Sun Deyuan, Researcher of the Party Committee of Wuhan University School of Law, on behalf of the organizer, welcomed the arrival of the experts, and introduced the history of School of Law of Wuhan University and its contributions in the research and practice of cyberspace international law, and said that the college will continue to attach importance to and support research in related fields.

The second module of the conference was hosted by Professor Yu Minyou, Executive Vice President of Wuhan University China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies. Zhao Li, Deputy Director of the Network Affairs Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Professor Huang Zhixiong from Wuhan University School of Law made a speech. Director Zhao Li first introduced several stages of China's network affairs work, and then analyzed the current status of international legislation on cyberspace. On this basis, Director Zhao finally focused on the three major issues of international law applicable to cyberspace disputes, the construction of cyberspace behavioral norms and the establishment of inter-state trust measures. Professor Huang Zhixiong made a speech on the international law of cyberspace from four aspects: the overall situation of cyberspace international law research, the status quo of China cyberspace international law research, the status quo of foreign cyberspace international law research, the current cyberspace international law research problems and related thinking.

The third unit of the conference was hosted by Professor Li Renzhen from Wuhan University Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies. Professor Li Ming, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Society of International Law, Director of the Institute of International Law at Peking University, Associate Professor Lu Chuanying from the Shanghai Institute for International Studies and Professor He Zhipeng from the Law School of Jilin University gave a speech. Starting from the three pairs of contradictions, Professor Li Ming discussed the research on cyberspace international law: international law and cyberspace international legislation is a general and special relationship. Attention should be paid to balance the contradiction between generality and particularity; The contradiction between the cooperation of international law and the use of force, but cooperation is comparatively more important; the international legislation of cyberspace has the contradiction between cyber sovereignty and individual liberty, and it should be deepened from the perspective of human well-being. Associate Professor Lu Chuanying made a speech centering on why countries lack the willingness to construct international law on cyberspace, what principles should be followed in the construction of cyberspace international law, and what restrictions should be accepted, and pointed out the ideas for solving related problems and call on the academic community to promote the development of international law in cyberspace based on interdisciplinary research. Professor He Zhipeng made a speech on the promotion of international law on cyberspace from a novel perspective, pointing out that the Internet is a way of life, the Internet is embedded in globalization, and international law research provides new concepts, new theories, new thinking, and new patterns for the Internet while Internet provides new areas of law, new research directions, new sources of information and new perspectives for international law.

The fourth unit of the conference was hosted by Shan Lipo, Inspector and Deputy Secretary-General of Advisory Committee for National Informatization. Major General Hao Yeli, Vice Chairman of China Institute for Innovation&Development Strategy, and Associate Professor Xu Peixi, Faculty of Journalism and Communication, Communication University of China, gave a speech. Vice Chairman Hao Yeli made a speech on the unity of the opposition to cyber sovereignty from the following aspects: cyber sovereignty-related disputes and international public opinion, contradictions between different subjects or actors, theoretical framework of three perspectives, and the features of network sovereignty under three perspectives. Through the above discussion, Chairman Hao pointed out that respecting network sovereignty is the premise of international cooperation. The concept of network sovereignty needs to grasp the unity of opposites between exclusivity and transferability. The multilateral and multi-party of cyberspace governance are complementary rather than mutually exclusive. In the era of Internet, joys and sorrows are shared, we should embrace opening and sharing with co-prosperity and versatility. Associate Professor Xu Peixi discussed the key texts in the global governance of cyberspace and the positions of China, the United States, Russia, Europe and civil society in the negotiation of these key texts through text analysis methods; and by showing him in-depth interviews on cyberspace Interviews with relevant personnel of international governance activities, participants' understanding of the history and practical issues of international governance of cyberspace have been deepened.

The holding of this conference not only deepened the participants' understanding of the status quo of China's cyberspace international law research, but also pointed out the direction and path for Chinese scholars to further study the cyberspace international law issue. It is believed that through the active efforts of all parties, in the near future, the study of China's cyberspace international law will reach a new level.

(Contributor: Li Yan, Wu Liuqing)