A semantic validation method, wherein the method is applied to a Machine-to-Machine Communications, M2M, system, and the method comprises: receiving an operation request related to a first semantic description resource, wherein the operation request related to the first semantic description resource comprises: semantic information of the first semantic description resource, an association relationship between the first semantic description resource and another semantic description resource, and a URI of an ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource, wherein the ontology is stored on an apparatus; determining, based on the association relationship between the first semantic description resource and the another semantic description resource, that the first semantic description resource is associated with the semantic description resource; sending, based on the URI of the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource, a semantic validation request message to the apparatus that stores the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource, wherein the semantic validation request message comprises the semantic information of the first semantic description resource, the URI of the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource, and a URI of the associated semantic description resource indicated by the association relationship; and the semantic validation request message is used for instructing to perform semantic validation on the consistency of the of the semantic information of the first semantic description resource and the semantic information of the associated semantic description resource by using the ontology indicated by the URI of the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource and an ontology referenced by the associated semantic description resource, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a semantic validation success response message returned by the apparatus that stores the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource; performing the operation request related to the first semantic description resource; and setting, in the first semantic description resource, a parameter indicating that the semantic validation succeeds. receiving an operation request related to a first semantic description resource, wherein the operation request related to the first semantic description resource comprises: semantic information of the first semantic description resource, an association relationship between the first semantic description resource and another semantic description resource, and a URI of an ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource, wherein the ontology is stored on an apparatus; determining, based on the association relationship between the first semantic description resource and the another semantic description resource, that the first semantic description resource is associated with the semantic description resource; sending, based on the URI of the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource, a semantic validation request message to the apparatus that stores the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource, wherein the semantic validation request message comprises the semantic information of the first semantic description resource, the URI of the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource, and a URI of the associated semantic description resource indicated by the association relationship; and the semantic validation request message is used for instructing to perform semantic validation on the consistency of the of the semantic information of the first semantic description resource and the semantic information of the associated semantic description resource by using the ontology indicated by the URI of the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource and an ontology referenced by the associated semantic description resource, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a semantic validation success response message returned by the apparatus that stores the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource; performing the operation request related to the first semantic description resource; and setting, in the first semantic description resource, a parameter indicating that the semantic validation succeeds. receiving a semantic validation success response message returned by the apparatus that stores the ontology referenced by the first semantic description resource; performing the operation request related to the first semantic description resource; and setting, in the first semantic description resource, a parameter indicating that the semantic validation succeeds.