World Internet Conference (WIC)

The WIC is an initiative of the Chinese government. The first WIC took place in 2014 in Wuzhen. The aim of WIC is to bring the Chinese government's position on Internet Governance to greater attention on the international stage and to promote the global expansion of the large Chinese Internet companies.

At the 2nd WIC, Chinese President Xi Ping held a keynote speech in which he stated the principle of strengthening national cyber sovereignty to be the most important task of Internet Governance. WIC is organised by the Cyberadministration of China (CAC). The CAC is a kind of “super ministry" that coordinates the other ministries with a view to Internet policy. It is controlled by the Communist Party of China.

In 2015, a High Level Advisory Committee (HAC) was established with 30 high-ranking experts, 15 of them stemming from abroad. Jack Ma (Alibaba) and Fadi Chehadé (then ICANN, now WEF) were nominated as co-chairs of the HAC. The HAC has only little influence on the annual program of the WIC.

After an attempt to adopt a "final document" by consensus failed at the 2nd WIC, the CAC now uses the WIC to present an annual "World Internet Development Report", which, however, primarily presents the Chinese view of global Internet development.

Read more at http://www.wuzhenwic.org/

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