Have you ever wondered if China really is as big a threat as some people claim? How could you assess that threat? Want to learn more about China and to understand it and its policies better so you can assess for yourself? China is an important player in the Indo-Pacific region and China’s cyber policy forms a huge plank of its strategic policy framework and intent in interacting with the rest of the world. China is in competition with the United States in cyberspace and this competition challenges the US’s dominance of military and economic power and threatens to lead to conflict in various parts of the Indo-Pacific region. This has implications for Australia and its regional allies. China is also a key trading and economic partner of Australia. It is crucial, then, that Australians, and the international community more generally, understands the way it operates in the region. How should Australia respond? What are the implications for Australia’s cyber policy? For China to compete successfully with the US, its cyber ambition needs to be fulfilled. It also needs to develop innovative applications of information technology and become an advanced information-based society. This course will provide students with an understanding of China’s cyber policy exploring the economic, military, ethical and strategic aspects of it. Students can expect to develop the tools and be provided with opportunities to make their own assessment of China’s cyber policy and its impacts and likely outcomes for Chinese society, Australia and the world more generally.
