{"id":22047,"date":"2015-08-17T14:09:57","date_gmt":"2015-08-17T04:09:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=22047"},"modified":"2015-08-17T14:09:57","modified_gmt":"2015-08-17T04:09:57","slug":"cyber-capacity-building-through-the-lens-of-techno-nationalism-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/cyber-capacity-building-through-the-lens-of-techno-nationalism-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyber capacity-building through the lens of techno nationalism"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n The Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister, Zheng Zeguang, set the tone for the recent ARF Cyber Workshop in Beijing when he said there should be three priorities for the nations gathered in the room. First, that they should \u2018respect each other\u2019 and \u2018build political consensus\u2019 on cyber capacity-building. According to Zheng, that\u2019s because Asia\u2013Pacific nations \u2018differ and have different requirements\u2019 and that there was a need to \u2018accommodate all of those on the basis of mutual respect and the need for common development\u2019. His second point was that the ASEAN Regional Forum should take a \u2018pragmatic\u2019 approach to \u2018build cyber capacity together\u2019 to include joint research on both software and hardware as well as information sharing, and that nations with greater capabilities should work to build the capacity of those that don\u2019t. Third, this should be done in a way that all ASEAN Regional Forum members can \u2018benefit together from the digital economy\u2019.<\/p>\n Many of these themes should be present in the keenly anticipated and snappily titled, \u2018ASEAN Regional Forum Work Plan on Security of and in the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs)\u2019, to be released by the ARF. The key purpose of the work plan is to promote a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyber environment, and prevent conflict and crises in cyberspace through building confidence between states in the region and capacity building.<\/p>\n Minister Zheng\u2019s comments appear to resonate well with the work plan\u2019s narrative; that the region is approaching the point of an emerging consensus on cyber capacity in the region shouldn\u2019t be underestimated. However, the key to all of this is the interpretation of his three points, and members states\u2019 interpretations will vary wildly depending upon where on the political ideological spectrum they sit. This became evident as the ARF progressed and the key messages emerged from some of the presentations.<\/p>\n The message\u2014that cyber capacity building is going to take place in the Asia\u2013Pacific and the \u2018big players\u2019 are getting ready to lead this effort in earnest\u2014was clear and was received in no uncertain terms by all present. This is a positive message, as some presenters went to great pains to point out, the digital divide is still evident in the Asia-Pacific and the gaps between the \u2018haves\u2019 and the \u2018have-nots\u2019 is growing quickly. Creating some baselines will assist in raising security, stimulate economic growth and lower the potential for miscalculation or misinterpretation.<\/p>\n As a keen listener to the presentations it felt like the Chinese were couching themselves amongst those that were developing in this area, and to a degree this is true. Only 46% of the population has internet access which gives enormous capacity for growth, and China is only beginning to cultivate an innovation culture in this area. But this seems counter to their wish to be considered part of new \u2018great power relations\u2019<\/a> which would place China on a more level playing field with the US. Rather, the image of a fellow developing nation makes the Chinese less imposing to its smaller neighbours when it offers its cyber capacity building wares. And this could reduce suspicion of their true motives when they offer to build entire networks.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s not kid ourselves that the US will differ much in its approach, despite its claims of an entirely altruistic agenda. Cyber capacity building will be used to re-enforce existing alliances and friendships and strike up new ones. Illustrating how easily the capacity building agenda will become part of the broader contest for strategic influence in the Asia\u2013Pacific.<\/p>\n