The Third US-China Internet Industry Forum kicks off Thursday in San Francisco. Cai Mingzhao (R1), vice minister of the Publicity Department, CPCCC, delivers a keynote speech on the forum.

The first priority of ensuring online security should be to protect adolescents, said Cai Mingzhao, vice minister of the Publicity Department, CPCCC, in the keynote speech [Full Text] addressing the Third US-China Internet Industry Forum on December 10 in San Francisco.

Lasting one and a half days, the forum will discuss such topics as the Internet's role in economic recovery, protection of adolescents, protection of intellectual property rights and new Internet technologies.

The Internet has become a vital component of a country's infrastructure. When it permeates all aspects of people's life, it is no longer a "virtual society" aloof from reality, but is a substantial part of reality, said Cai at the forum.

Pornography, fraud, spam, online attacks and computer viruses are serious threats to information security and they impair the public's confidence in the Internet. Given the fact that teenagers have become the largest online group, it's the responsibility of the entire Internet industry to protect them from harmful information.

However, Cai pointed out that every country has its own unique circumstances. Therefore, ensuring online security should fully respect the cultural diversity and concerns of all countries, and depends on feasible international cooperation.

Previously the U.S. and China had held the US-China Internet Industry Forum twice, first in Seattle in 2007 and then in Shanghai last year. Cai initiated the event in order to establish a communication mechanism between the two countries.