China's Use of Cyber Warfare: Espionage Meets Strategic Deterrence

Abstract

This article presents three reasons for states to use cyber warfare andshows that cyberspace is—and will continue to be—a decisive element inChina's strategy to ascend in the international system. The three reasonsare: deterrence through infiltration of critical infrastructure; militarytechnologicalespionage to gain military knowledge; and industrial espionageto gain economic advantage. China has a greater interest in usingcyberspace offensively than other actors, such as the United States, sinceit has more to gain from spying on and deterring the United States thanthe other way around. The article also documents China's progress incyber warfare and shows how it works as an extension of its traditionalstrategic thinking and the current debate within the country. Severalexamples of cyber attacks traceable to China are also presented. Thisincludes cyber intrusions on a nuclear arms laboratory, attacks on defenseministries (including the Joint Strike Fighter and an airbase) and the U.S.electric grid, as well as the current Google affair, which has proved to be asmall part of a broader attack that also targeted the U.S. Government.There are, however, certain constraints that qualify the image of China asan aggressive actor in cyberspace. Some believe that China itself is the victimof just as many attacks from other states. Furthermore, certain actorsin the United States and the West have an interest in overestimatingChina's capabilities in cyberspace in order to maintain their budgets.