Multilateral cooperation in building critical infrastructure security and resilience: case of American deterrence of Chinese cyberthreats

Despite the omnipresent practices of cyber operations across countries, China's cyber pursuit has particularly caught international attention. Its active development of cyber capacities and its ‘cyber great power’ vision have prompted the United States and its allies to develop a more powerful and holistic approach to address China's growing cyberthreat. By examining China’s growing cyber capacity and the implications of advanced technologies on security using publicly available materials, the paper suggests that making use of every actor's capability and capacity is crucial to developing a more solid and advanced collective cyber defence system. In particular, given the strong connection between information and cyberspace, the independence of critical infrastructure organisations and information systems from adversaries is crucial to ensuring swift coordination and avoiding disruptions during a crisis. The paper therefore contributes to the discussion of cybersecurity by delving into the principles necessary for deterring cyberthreats against critical infrastructure.