In recent months, China has become more assertive in its cyber security policies, asserting its right on its own “cyberspace sovereignty”. The motivations over the move towards more stringent cyber policies are examined in this commentary.

China, through its official newspaper, China Daily, announced on 28 May 2015 that it will prepare a five-year cyber security plan to protect state secrets and data. Earlier in May, China also included cyber security into its draft national security law to tighten the legal framework governing its cyberspace.

Although China’s approach to cyberspace governance has been somewhat heavy handed, there have been marked developments and heightened intervention in China’s cyberspace policy in the past year. The details of this policy change have yet to be fleshed out, but bigger question marks loom over the motivations and the timing of this policy change.

… Eugene EG Tan is an Associate Research Fellow with the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), a component of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.