Ahead of the EU-China Cyber Task Force taking place on 25 November 2021, EU Cyber Direct hosted a meeting to discuss China’s ambitions in cyberspace.
The meeting gathered representatives of EU member states and addressed some of the critical debates on digital and cyber issues in China and how they might affect EU policies.
Alexa Lee, Senior Manager of Global Technology Policy at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), and Rogier Creemers, Assistant Professor in modern Chinese studies at the University of Leiden, shared their views and answered the participants’ questions on the EU’s and China’s cyber policies.
In particular, Alexa Lee defined today’s policy environment as increasingly challenging due to China, technology, and national security issues. In her view, the EU, U.S., and like-minded allies should enhance cooperation to strengthen the global supply chain, take a risk-based approach to address cybersecurity challenges, and develop policy proposals based on industry-driven international standards.
Professor Creemers provided an overview of the Chinese digital governance ecosystem and explained how the Chinese brand of cyber governance and standard-setting reflects China’s overall worldview. Additionally, he highlighted how China’s conception of cybersecurity differs from the EU’s, as it adopts a purposive approach to regulation and the use of legislative instruments.
