Global cooperation on cyber security issues needed

A visitor tries out wearable device at the Light of the Internet Expo in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, Dec 14, 2015. [Photo by Wang Chengmeng/chinadaily.com.cn]

Secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union Zhao Houlin said Tuesday that the world should work together to tackle online security issues, and that the country with the largest online population, China, has a lot to offer.

"Each country has their own right to deploy Internet services. There is no single mode we can follow. We should encourage members to development their own Internet services suitable for their own environment," said Zhao.

The comments came after China and the United States showed cracks on information safety topics. Zhao encouraged both sides to make a force and reach a compromised agreement as soon as possible.

"In development and commercial areas of technology, China and the United States enjoy special rooms," Zhao said. "We encourage the world to come together and look at Internet development in a harmonized way."

The ITU, which Zhao currently heads, is a specialized agency for information and communication technologies under the United Nations.

Terrorism organizations, such as the Islamic State, are recruiting jihadists using popular social networking tools online, triggering a worldwide debate on a coordinated method to prevent terrorism from spreading online. Zhao said the European nations have already made moves to fight this new trend.

"I am pleased to notice that the global family has been focusing more and more on this issue," Zhao said.