Intrinsic or Opportunistic: Chinese Cyber Espionage Strategies

The growth of cyber espionage is viewed as a significant threat to both private and public sectors across the globe. While explanations that range from increases in interconnectivity to societal predilections toward cyber espionage have been offered, there continues to exist a dearth of ontological research as to the emergence of this phenomenon. This exploratory study attempts to explain cyber espionage as the manifestation of an established strategic culture. That is to say, cyber espionage is not the result of precipitous technical circumstances within cyberspace nor is it simply the enduring consequence of primordial traits that encourage such activities. Rather, it is the reflection of the manner in which the establishment has consciously decided to further their respective state’s interests in an increasingly digitized world. To achieve this, the study analyzes cases of cyber espionage that have been attributed to China through the lens of its strategic culture. Upon its conclusion, this study proposes that while states may have comparable cyber power and cultural traits, variations in the expected behavior of states in cyberspace are the function of their respective strategic cultures as interpreted by political and military elites.