By Wang Qian
China.org.cn staff reporter in Shanghai

The second US-China Internet Industry Forum jointly hosted by the Internet Society of China (ISC) and Microsoft Corporation kicked off in Shanghai on November 7. The two-day forum attracted over 140 experts and representatives of major Internet companies in the two countries including Microsoft, eBay, Yahoo, Google, Intel, Cisco, AOL/Time Warner, AT&T, Amazon, Alibaba, Sina.com, Sohu.com and China.org.cn.

With the theme of "development and cooperation", the participants will discuss topics including cutting-edge technologies and their applications, Internet information dissemination, Internet security and Internet regulation.

Cai Mingzhao, vice minister of the State Council Information Office [China.org.cn]

Huang Youyi, president of China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn) presided over the opening ceremony and introduced the keynote speakers: Cai Mingzhao, vice minister of the State Council Information Office, Hu Qiheng, president of the Internet Society of China (ISC), Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer of Microsoft, Ya-Qin Zhang, chairman of Microsoft China, and Bea Camp, US Consul General in Shanghai.

Cai Mingzhao said that while the United States was the originator of the Internet, and the world leader in networking technology, China has the largest population of Internet users in the world, and therefore is a huge market for Internet applications.

"It is of great significance for the two countries to increase exchange and cooperation. Because of differences in national conditions, culture and tradition we have developed and managed the Internet in different ways. We should understand such differences and respect the diversity of Internet," said Cai.

Huang Youyi, president of China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn) presided over the opening ceremony. [China.org.cn]

Cai said that 2008 was a year of accelerated growth in the development of China's e-commerce and wireless Internet services. National e-commerce turnover reached 1.7 trillion yuan in 2007, a 54.5 percent rise over 2006. The number of online shoppers had reached 63.29 million by the end of June, 2008, a 36.4 percent growth in just six months. The Ministry of Commerce has forecast that within a decade 70 percent of trade turnover will be done through online transactions, and e-commerce will become the mainstream commercial model.

On the other hand, because of the global nature of the Internet, international cooperation is essential for promoting its healthy and orderly development. According to statistics from the Internet Society of China, in 2007, 77 percent of online attacks on Chinese mainland websites were from abroad, and 50 percent of junk emails were sent through overseas-based servers. Over the past four years, the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center has received 391,000 complaints about online pornographic information, of which 81 percent involved websites hosted in the United States. "Dissemination of pornographic information through the Internet violates Chinese law and goes against China's traditional culture. Such information is greatly detrimental to youngsters. All countries in the world including the United States and China should take initiatives to enhance effective governance of the Internet, and prevent problems on their domestic Internet from affecting the online order and impairing the public interest in other countries," said Cai.