80 Foreign Aff. 118 (2001)
China's Cyber-Strategy

handle is hein.journals/fora80 and id is 364 raw text is: China's Cyber-Strategy Nina Hacbigian DANGEROUS LIAISON OFTEN RESTRAINED in its enthusiasm for Western suitors, China has fallen in love with the Internet. Not only is the Chinese Communist Party (ccp) hailing the Internet's vast commercial potential, but it is also successfully exerting state control over the Chinese Web and its use. Recognizing that an unregulated network would shift power from the state to citizens by providing an extensive forum for discussion and collaboration, Beijing has taken care to prevent this commercial gold mine from becoming political quicksand. But a victory over cyber- space cannot be decisive, because the Internet cannot deliver its full commercial benefits under strict political control. It will be some time, however, before the Internet becomes a political threat in China. In the near term, the Internet may in fact strengthen the party. The ccp's popularity now so depends on economic growth that its leaders are safer with the Internet than without it. And their three-part strategy for maintaining authority in a networked society- by providing economic growth and some personal freedoms, managing the Internet's risks, and harnessing its potential-will be effective for some time. The power shifts wrought by the Internet will surface clearly only during an economic or political crisis in a future China where the Internet is far more pervasive. At that time, the Internet will fuel discontent and could be the linchpin to a successful challenge to party rule. NINA HACHIGIAN is Senior Fellow at the Pacific Council on Interna- tional Policy in Los Angeles. From 1998 to 1999 she served on the staff of the National Security Council and from 1999 to 2000 was a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow. [118]

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