Strategic Stability between Great Powers: the Sino-American Cyber Agreement

The strategic relationship between China and the USA over issues of cybersecurity evolved a lot since the discovery of the first Chinese cyberespionage campaign in 2006. The tensions constantly increased between the two powers with the regular discovery of other Chinese cyberespionage campaigns on firms and defense contractors. The heightening stopped when Edward Snowden revealed the US internet mass surveillance program in 2013, giving the opportunity to the two states to find a bilateral agreement. The goal of this report is to understand the dynamics of the strategic relationship between the USA and China over issues of cybersecurity. The report examines the actors, tools and targets of the various cyberespionage campaigns. It analyzes the domestic effects of these cyberespionage campaigns over society and politics, their economic effects and technological effects. It looks into the international strategic context of the relationship between the two powers, the effects, the disagreements over the international governance of internet, and the bilateral agreement of 2015 over cybersecurity. Finally, the report suggests some recommendations for states to implement to reduce the risks to be impacted by the tensions between China and the USA.