China will boost cyber deterrence powers, vows President Xi Jinping

China will beef up its cybersecurity capabilities, including cyber deterrence, President Xi Jinping said yesterday, a move analysts said was needed to counter other countries’ capabilities.

Speaking to senior officials, engineers and information technology executives, Xi encouraged internet firms to expand globally and told governments bodies to help companies lure global talent to work in China’s internet sector.

Xi said accelerated development of China’s cybersecurity systems was needed to protect key information infrastructure and to “strengthen cyber defence and deterrence capabilities”.

The new five-year plan, passed in March, devotes much attention to the development of the internet sector and cybersecurity, including cyber defences. But it does not mention “cyber deterrence”.

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Last year, the US defence department updated its cyber strategy to include “cyber deterrence”.

“Some countries would use supremacy in cyber power to attack other countries,” said Huang Chengqing, director of the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Centre of China, who was at the meeting.