Challenges of Cyber Deterrence in China’s Security Strategy

Abstract

This study examines the challenges of cyber deterrence within China’s security strategy, as one of the most significant transformations in its security doctrine in the twenty-first century. The objective of the research is to analyze the instruments of cyber deterrence employed by China—such as technological capabilities, organizational structures, legal frameworks, and digital diplomacy—while clarifying the relationship between cyber deterrence and China’s foreign policy. The study particularly focuses on the legal, technical, and domestic challenges that influence the effectiveness of this deterrence. The findings indicate that cyber deterrence has become a central tool in China’s national and foreign security policies. However, it continues to face obstacles related to the complexity of attribution, overlapping institutional roles, and the absence of a binding international legal framework governing state behavior in cyberspace. The study concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of China’s cyber deterrence at both the domestic and international levels.

Keywords: Cyber deterrence, Chinese national security, security strategy, cyber threats, digital sovereignty.