The First Forum of Chinese Think Tank on Cyberspace and Information Law, sponsored by CASS Law Institute and organized by the Cyberspace and Information Law Department of CASS Law Institute, was successfully held in Beijing on June 23, 2018.

Recently, with the approval by CASS, a new research department, Cyberspace and Information Law Department, was established under CASS Law Institute. The forum was the first activity organized by the Department since its establishment. It was attended by dozens of experts and scholars from relevant government departments, research institutions, universities, as well as new media in China.

At the opening ceremony, presided over by Professor Zhou Hanhua, Assistant Director of CASS Law Institute and Head of Cyberspace and Information Law Department of CASS Law Institute, a speech was given by Professor Chen Su, Director of CASS Law Institute, in which he introduced the background of the establishment as well as staff members of the Cyberspace and Information Law Department and put forward concrete suggestions on the organization of the “High-end Forum on Science, Technology and Law” by CASS Law Institute.

Next, Professor Zhou Hanhuagave introductions to the participants of the forum and explained the background and the theme of the forum. Then the participants gave keynote speeches and carried out discussions on various issues relating to construction of the discipline of cyberspace and information law and the development think tank in this field.

At the concluding part of the forum, presided over by Professor Mo Jihong, Deputy Director of CASS Law Institute, Professor Li Lin, Vice Chairman of China Law Society and former Director of CASS Law Institute gave a summarization of the Forum.

He pointed out that, at the forum,the experts and scholars had discussed in a deep-going way many important issues which may lead to the revolution of the rule of law, even the revolutionof the law science.In an age of cyberspace and information, traditional concepts, methods, principles and logic of law science and rule of law are faced with major and fundamental challenges. State governance has undergone the transition from the rule of man to the rule of law. In the future, it will probably undergo another transition from the rule of law to the rule of the Internet. With respect to the development of the think tank, he suggested that the newly established department should find the right issues at the right time and then express them in a right way, combine strategic research, mid-term research and individual research, and strengthen strategic research, forward-looking research and macro-research. With respect to disciplinary construction, he suggested that the Department should draw on the historical experiences and lessons while at the same time base itself on reality and be problem-oriented.