The 2015 agreement between the United States and China concerning economic espionage has been viewed with both optimism and skepticism. It’s the first agreement of any substance on the issue, which is a hopeful sign. China doesn’t enjoy a reputation of carefully adhering to international agreements and there is doubt about whether the agreement will have any practical effect on China’s behavior.
Since the early 2000s, cyber espionage issues have increasingly strained U.S.-China relations. All countries engage in espionage, but China is one of the largest and most persistent perpetrators (as is, to be fair, the United States). In 2010, suspected Chinese cyber activities started to become a regular topic of discussion inside the U.S.
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China blames a “Cold War mentality” for the United States characterizing China as the miscreant. As Xi Jinping put it in September 2015, “The Cold War has long ended. [China and the U.S.] should make joint efforts to build a new model of major-country relations between two countries, and realize non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and cooperation.”
The differing approaches to cyberspace use and government also reflect, to some extent, the larger world views of the U.S. and China. The United States values freedom of expression and self-determination. It seeks to increase these freedoms in its international interactions and believes the free flow of information over the internet is the key to strategic and diplomatic success.
The U.S. also has a strong commitment to privacy (although not as strong as the European Union, which recently invalidated the U.S.- EU data transfer agreement because it provided insufficient protections for EU citizens). The activities of government agencies like the National Security Agency (NSA) in cyberspace has generated lively debate in the U.S. regarding how best to balance privacy and national security. Most recently, Congress eliminated the NSA’s bulk phone-records collection program, replacing it with a constrained measure designed to keep the records in phone companies’ hands. The internal, on-going privacy debate influences U.S. policies across the board, but especially with regard to cyber activities.
China, meanwhile,
The first causative factor that ultimately led to the agreement between the U.S. and China is the efforts of the U.S. to promote some sort of international norm for cyber economic espionage. The U.S faced numerous difficulties throughout the Obama administration when it came to gathering support for the economic cyber espionage they faced from China. For instance, the Mandiant Report released in February 2013 discusses the concerns of Chinese economic cyber espionage and led to new strategy on theft of trade secrets, although; the U.S. lacked the support of other countries when trying to advance international support against such economic espionage and consequently made no improvements. Also in 2014, the U.S. attempted to emphasize a norm by indicting Chinese military personnel and still lacked international support. These examples show how the United States’ continuously failed efforts to formulate an international norm against Chinese cyber espionage ultimately led to the U.S. China deal being put into effect. The U.S. continuously tried to gather other countries support against cyber espionage and rather they came to an agreement with the source of their cyber espionage problems and let the world
While China continues to deny any involvement in breaches into U.S. government systems, U.S. investigators and lawmakers are convinced of China’s role in multiple hacking efforts. The inability to identify the actual source of the data breaches continues to frustrate politicians; but more importantly, it raises concerns about the vulnerability of these systems as well as call into question as to why these agencies were specifically targeted for cyber espionage. On July 9, 2013, Larry Wortzel, a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission testified before the House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation. He revealed the following assessment of China’s cyber
Recently, the most prominent conflict has been that between China and the United States over
For some time now, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been suspected in the theft of critical and highly sensitive information from the United States (U.S.). Through the exploitation of the stolen data, the PRC has successfully designed, built, and ultimately tested several nuclear weapons as well as other military related data such as fighter aircraft design. For good reason, these actions have raised a significant level of concern with U.S. officials. Due to this concern, the U.S. commissioned an official committee to investigate the theft of information by the PRC to include how, why, and possible consequences of the stolen information. The committee has conducted a significant amount of research and investigation into the
China is rising in an international system that is accessible, united, norm-based, and most importantly easy to integrate. Its strong framework of rules, norms, and institutions is already starting to facilitate Chinese integration. So far, China has embraced certain rules and institutions for defensive purposes: protecting its sovereignty and economic interests while continuously reassuring states of its peaceful intentions (Ikenberry 2008, 31). China has situated itself in a position where it can thrive within the Western system. Therefore, the current international order has the potential to turn the coming power shift into a peaceful
Thee presence of anarchy in the international system; the lack of central authority in the international system must be acknowledged when analyzing state affairs. Realist theory argues that states act in response to anarchy and presume the international system to be one of self-help. States are self-interested actors that look to maximize power and ensure security. This security dilemma in current US-Sino relations about nuclear arms. In an attempt to compete with the US, China is “‘increasing its existing ability to deliver nuclear warheads to the United States and to overwhelm missile defense systems.’” China is exhibiting relative gains, as it measures its own nuclear arsenal relative to the one of the US. Because the US is seen as threat to China militarily, China’s response has been to develop their defense industry. By increasing their industry sector, China is attempting to balance power its power in the international system by countering the power
In the 21st century, U.S.-China relations have been shaped by the perception and acknowledgment that “China is a player at the table”. As a result, many have turned to international relation theories to predict whether China’s rise will peaceful or conflicted. Most understand that international relations are a “combination of forces and factors that are regarded as being diametrically opposed to one another”(Friedberg 2005 p11). However, in the unique case of U.S.-China relations, there is not only disagreement between theories, but also disagreement within theories. In examining the future of U.S.-China relations through the lens of realism, liberalism and constructivism there is optimism and pessimism within each theory. While IR predictions about China and U.S. range from “clash of civilizations” to “peaceful co-existence”, the one shared agreement that is that America cannot prevent China’s rise. Given this reality, there is evidence supporting each prediction. However, the optimistic realism perspective is essential because it helps to balance America’s understanding to treat China as it is, and offers the foresight to recognize China for what it may become.
As China becomes a rising superpower on the geopolitical stage, it now faces itself in challenging situations that can undermine its foreign policies. To say the least, even if China’s economy and power is growing in a rapid rate, the nation now faces itself in a series of political tensions that can affect its standing in the region and in the world. Though as China continues to expand its foreign influences around the globe through its growing military and economic power, the world is current watching and waiting for the Chinese government’s next big move.
As China starts to become an growing superpower on the world stage, it now face itself in challenging situations in the global political stage. China’s economy and power grows in a rapid rate, the nation faces itself in serious political tensions that can affect its standing in the region and its standing in the world stage. The nation continues to expand its foreign influences around the world through its growing military and economic power, the world watches and waits for the Chinese government’s next big move.
Not only do Chinese companies and state-actors steal American intellectual property, they also use this stolen IP to unfairly compete with American companies in the Chinese market. This is done through the China Compulsory Certificate (CCC). All foreign companies must obtain this safety certificate before participating in Chinese markets (Blair). However, when the certification is obtained China demands that companies provide detailed schematics of their products which the Chinese government then provides to Chinese companies, enabling IP theft and counterfeiting (Blair). To solve this problem the DHS proposes that the CCC commision submit itself to a non-partisan international oversight body which will protect the safety of Chinese consumers, the stated purpose of the CCC. Moreover, the oversight body will ensure the CCC is not abused to disadvantage foreign companies. Understandably, political pressure will be needed to ensure that China allows this policy.
been very sensitive question in China-U.S. relations, and it is influenced by the global political
Views in the United States about Xi Jinping and Chinese politics fall to two extremes. On one extreme is the belief that Xi Jinping is a “strong man”, who has completely replaced the collective leadership and is monopolizing power. He is an ambitious leader who has helped realize China’s military modernization, which will enable China to dislodge the United States from the Asia Pacific and cement its own regional hegemony. The other extreme is the view that Xi Jinping is weak: his anti-corruption campaign and military reforms have alienated many people and created numerous enemies. This view perceives Xi’s tenuous grip on power and deduces that the Chinese Communist Party itself is imperiled. If the U.S. government is guided
“It is only since the end of the Cold War that China’s leaders have developed policies that recognize that the future security and prosperity of their country requires the cultivation of close relations with the Asia-Pacific as a whole and with its neighbors in particular.” (Yahuda 2011, 137)
“China Rising” is a non-arguable fact and the one of the most important subjects in the twenty-first century. The rise of China is a relative threat to the neighboring regions or other great powers. Further, some scholars also comment that China either will replace or has already superseded the United State as the world’s only superpower. China’s growth is too rapid and massive that other nations have limited or no opportunity to compete with. In the other hand, others argue that confits between two nations are avoidable. For example, economic exchange between the United States and China increased dramatically after the 1970s. The economic interdependence lowers the intension for China to create clashes with the United States. In
Americans at times see the Chinese state as equivocal. In any case, given the way that power is partitioned in the U.S. political framework and the incessant force turnovers between the two primary gatherings in the United States, the Chinese likewise experience serious difficulties U.S. goals. All things considered, over late decades, a long haul U.S. methodology appears to have risen out of a progression of American activities toward China. So it is not a sad activity - surely, it is important - for the Chinese to attempt to investigate the United States.