The South Korean government announced the Indo-Pacific Strategy of Freedom, Peace and Prosperity in December last year. This strategy pursues economic cooperation and prosperity in infrastructure, trade and supply chains, and focuses on cooperation and solidarity based on openness and inclusion, not competition. It’s encouraging that the strategy directly refers to supporting cyber capabilities, expanding official development assistance (ODA) and …
Cyber Issues to Watch in 2023
While key developments such as the conclusion of the Ad Hoc Committee on cybercrime are expected to take place in 2023, other trends are likely to emerge in the debates around cyber issues in the coming months. Four of our Directions Blog contributing editors explain which global and regional trends – namely in Africa, the Indo-Pacific, and Latin America – …
How China Promotes Cyber Sovereignty
China is a cyber norm entrepreneur, seeking a greater say in creating a global cyber order in line with its rise as a cyber power. China promotes ‘cyber sovereignty’ (wangluo zhuquan), which extends territorial sovereignty into human-created cyberspace as part of a ‘cyberspace shared future’. Financial incentives through ‘Digital Silk Road’ capacity building and coalition building in international institutions are …
Taiwan, China and Semiconductors
Rising tensions surrounding Taiwan in the wake of Nancy Pelosi’s visit have illuminated the island’s critical role in the global economy, thanks to its singular place in the semiconductor supply chain. Yet rather than increasing Beijing’s incentives to pull the trigger on an invasion of Taiwan, the global importance of TSMC and other Taiwanese semiconductor companies discourages it. Taiwan’s position …
Cybersecurity Cooperation in the Indian Ocean
Formal and informal regional organisations play an increasing role in shaping global debates about cybersecurity. Although countries in the Indo-Pacific region have varied levels of cyber maturity, they share similar cybersecurity challenges and needs. It is not surprising, therefore, that existing cooperation platforms – like the Colombo Security Conclave – increasingly also include a cybersecurity dimension. India’s role in this …
Getting the (Digital) Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Right
On the eve of the Tokyo Quad Summit in May 2022, President Biden unveiled the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), visualising cooperation across the Indo-Pacific based on four pillars: trade; supply chains; clean energy, decarbonisation and infrastructure; and tax and anti-corruption. Galvanised by the US, the other 13 founding members of the IPEF are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic …
The Curious Absence of Chinese Cyber Deterrence
While China’s political and academic discourse on cybersecurity uses many of the same concepts as other countries’, the notion of deterrence is largely missing from its vocabulary. This can be explained by China’s relative vulnerability to cyberattacks: deterrence through denial lacks credibility and deterrence through punishment would be counter-productive. China has chosen instead to promote an international convention on interstate …
Digital Sovereignty Viewed from Asia
The rapid pace of global digital transformation has led to new ideas concerning the relationships between economic growth, human development, human rights and national security. The mix of these policies has resulted in many forms of techno-nationalism. Which paradigm a country chooses as dominant may determine its priorities and the future. The US-led objections, based on national security concerns, to …
India’s Vision for Cyber Diplomacy
India’s rapid integration into the Digital Economy has been driven by her financial and telecoms sector reforms. The growth of trade, manufacturing, services and investment sectors have generated a $3 trillion economy. The concerns over sustainability of this growth have turned India’s interest in a stable and secure international digital environment into a priority. International trade contributes 40% of India’s …
Southeast Asia in the Global Digital War
China’s push for “cyber sovereignty” in global tech discussions is attracting an audience in regions like Southeast Asia. Here, states and the private sector are ready markets for technologies, but they are also engaged in delicate diplomacy with China and the US against the backdrop of geo-security interests. Understanding the dynamics of the region requires a nuanced critical approach.
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