China called for increased international efforts to safeguard network security at the opening ceremony of the Fourth U.S.-China Internet Industry Forum held in Beijing Monday.

Qian Xiaoqian, vice director of the State Council's Information Office, made the appeal and noted that the Chinese government has always opposed network attacks.

He said China hopes to work with the international community to safeguard internet security.

"As different social and cultural traditions exist in different countries, we fully respect the various concerns of each country. Our goal is to find common ground to cooperate to fight cyber crime while safeguarding network security," he added.

Microsoft Corporation and the Internet Society of China are co-hosting the forum, whose focus is Sino-U.S. exchange and cooperation in cloud computing, cyber crime and online intellectual property rights protection.

Launched in 2007, the forum was previously held in Seattle, Shanghai and San Francisco.