An in-depth look at China's New IP proposal, whose plans are being spearheaded by Richard Li, chief scientist at Futurewei, Huawei's California-based R&D arm
Huawei is developing the technology for a new network. But what does this mean for the rights of users? Tweets: @rafabueno59 , @dctwining , @christinespolar , @lionelbarber , @drchrisparry , @juanof9 , @rebeccaarcesati , and @thomasmetzinger Tweets: Rafael Bueno / @rafabueno59 : And in the meantime, the EU's concern is about terminology Inside China's controversial mission to reinvent the internet https://www.ft.com/... vía @financialtimes Daniel Twining / @dctwining : “What differentiates us from China now is that in the west, the public can still mobilize & have a say. A lot of this now is down to lawmakers to protect democracy in an age of surveillance... a digital future that is compatible with democracy.” via @FT https://giftarticle.ft.com/... Christine Spolar / @christinespolar : China's — and read that #Huawei — mission: Re-make the internet their way. The new IP proposal could embed a system of CENTRALISED rule enforcement into the technical fabric of the internet. Saudi, Russia, Iran likes this. Must read. https://www.ft.com/... via @financialtimes Lionel Barber / @lionelbarber : In any normal time, this would be the most important piece to read this weekend: a fascinating dive into China's controversial mission to reinvent the internet @madhumita29 https://www.ft.com/... via @financialtimes Chris Parry / @drchrisparry : Inside China's controversial mission to reinvent the internet via @FT This article needs to be read by all UK government ministers and the public before Huawei/Chinese Communist Party is offered access to the UK's communications architecture. https://giftarticle.ft.com/... Juan Ortiz Freuler / @juanof9 : ""Right now we have two versions of the internet — a market-led capitalist version based on surveillance, which is exploitative; and an authoritarian version also based on surveillance," Zuboff says. https://twitter.com/... @rebeccaarcesati : If this doesn't convince decision makers in Europe that Huawei is part of a larger geopolitical and strategic effort by the Chinese government to rewrite internet governance and control digital connectivity, I don't know what will. #DigitalSilkRoad https://www.ft.com/... Thomas Metzinger / @thomasmetzinger : " “If the delegates are unable to agree, the proposal will go to a closed-door vote in which only member countries can participate, cutting out the views of industry and civil society.” https://www.ft.com/... via @financialtimes
Context & Ripple Effects
China has tabled a proposal for 'New IP' — a redesigned internet protocol — at the UN's ITU, with the technology being developed by Futurewei, the California-based R&D arm of Huawei, under chief scientist Richard Li. Critics describe the design as top-down, capable of giving governments granular control over network traffic and user rights. The move extends a longer arc: Beijing's effort to increase its influence inside standards bodies like ITU, IEEE and 3GPP and its broader push, documented since 2018, to advance dozens of regulations and technical standards aimed at reshaping the internet ecosystem.
First-order effects
- ITU delegates must now weigh the proposal, and if they cannot agree it may go to a closed-door vote limited to member countries — cutting industry and civil society out of the decision entirely.
Second-order effects
- The US and EU, already pushing back against Chinese influence in standards organizations, face pressure to mount a coordinated response at the ITU rather than fight protocol-by-protocol.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, internet governance splits between the current multistakeholder model and state-controlled architectures adopted by aligned governments — with enforcement built into the protocol layer itself, as critics' warnings about granular control suggest.
The trend: Beijing is shifting its internet-governance campaign from influencing existing standards bodies to proposing replacement architectures, moving the contest from committees to the protocol layer.