Cyber Security Dispute between the US and China

Since the disclosure by Edward Snowden of the National Security Agency’s online surveillance on Americans citizens and foreign nationals, cyber security emerged as the center of attention in international relations. Amidst this global trend, cyber security continues to be a key contention point between China and the US. Recently, Apple’s iCloud storage of users in China was attacked. The familiar pattern of suspicion towards Beijing for backing the attack and the strong denial of the Chinese government shows that the two superpowers are having a hard time in establishing their authenticity in the fields of cyber security.

Cyber attack is nothing new in the US-China relationship. US has already suffered numerous attacks from Chinese hackers, some of whom were suspected to have been backed by the Chinese government. Major incidents include Titan Rain, a series of attacks by Chinese hackers since 2003 that successfully shut down and gained access to the British and the US government networks. So far, china has been the greatest suspect of attempts to steal US industrial secrets.

In 2013, a report that Chinese hackers gained access to new US weapon designs had generated another serious confrontation. China flatly rejected the accusation and argued that it had information about US cyber attacks against China. This exchange of accusations pushed cyber security to a key agenda of the US-China Summit in 2013. At the summit, Obama expressed concerns that Chinese cyber attacks will have negative effects on the two countries’ economic relation. Xi seemed to have agreed on the importance of cyber security and expressed commitment for future cooperation, but the issue did not die away. In May 2014, Washington accused five Chinese military officers of stealing commercial secrets from US firms. China answered that any behavior of undermining cyber security is strictly forbidden under Chinese laws, and criticized the US as “[fabricating] stories and deliberate mudslinging toward China.” In October, the Chinese government announced that it will suspend the cyber security talks with the US due to “mistaken US practices.”

It seems that the past misbehaviors of the two countries pose a big obstacle in the bilateral cooperation. Washington’s engagement of cyber operations against foreign nationals and networks is providing the base for Chinese criticism that attacks the US as being hypocritical. For any cyber attacks launched by Chinese nationals or using Chinese proxy servers, suspecting Chinese government’s support has almost become natural for the US. Due to this lack of mutual trust, the future of the two countries’ cooperation remains unclear.

Another challenge in addressing cyber security issue lies in accountability. The complex technology used by hackers makes it very difficult to identify the perpetrator and to assess the extent of the damage. While governments may be involved in cyber crimes, attacks may also be launched by “patriotic hackers,” ordinary citizens hacking governments or firms in “enemies” of their countries. This is why the perpetrators of cyber attacks, including the recent iCloud attack and major attacks such as Titan Rain, have not been identified. Such unclarity gives enough room for governments to reject accusations against them. Due to this elusive nature, cyber security issues is even more likely to generate long-lasting distrust.

While governments cannot completely prevent cyber crimes, it is possible to take strong domestic measures to discourage cyber attacks. On top of publicly advocating cyber security, establishing and enforcing strict domestic laws would be a way to show commitment against cyber crimes. Fortunately, both the US and China have assured that civilians and systems directly linked to civilian lives—such as energy system—are not targeted by cyber attacks. Even though the low level of trust may not be easily restored, such step-by-step approach to expand safety zones from cyber attacks would be another way to help cooperation between them.