Abstract
At the state level, one of the key narratives within the contemporary cyber warfare debate is that China and, to a lesser extent, Russia are actively developing offensive cyber capabilities for use against the West. The suggestion is — particularly in the US — that military grade cyber capabilities are being developed for use in a major future conflict. China, in particular, has reacted angrily to these allegations and suggested that the West is stuck in a “Cold War mentality”. This chapter unpacks the notion of such a mentality, reviewing similar debates during the Cold War. The conclusion is that China’s protestations should not be dismissed out of hand, and that they may argue for a greater inclusion of critical and alternative analysis in Western strategic thinking.
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Notes
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© 2014 Julian Richards
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Richards, J. (2014). A New Cold War? Russia, China, the US and Cyber War. In: Cyber-War: The Anatomy of the global Security Threat. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137399625_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137399625_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-48584-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-39962-5
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