Abstract
Cyberwarfare is an intensely debated issue both in the policy community and in academia. Among scholars, a major point of discussion is whether the new technology empowers militarily weaker actors against stronger ones. Is cyber technology working as a new weapon of the weak? Or is it rather consolidating the power advantage enjoyed by strong actors in other areas of military competition? The aim of the proposed paper is to address this theoretical issue through a case-study on Chinese perceptions of cyberwarfare. As a rising power, China is a crucial case for the theoretical debate. What is China’s threat perception when it comes to the new technology and its national security implications? Is cyberwarfare perceived as a threat posed by a stronger actor – and, more precisely, a threat posed by the United States? Or is it rather perceived as a threat posed by weaker actors, including regional powers and non-state groups? To answer these questions, the paper will analyse how cyberwarfare is debated in a specialized Chinese journal: Guofang Keji. Established in 1979, this journal is the official publication of the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), the PLA institution in charge of scientific education and research. Over the past decade, Guofang Keji has published several articles on information and communication technology, on cyberspace and cyberwarfare, with a focus not only on the technical aspects of the new domain, but also on its wider strategic implications. Authored by military researchers affiliated to NUDT or other military institutions, these articles help to understand how cyberwarfare is perceived and theorized in China.