context: The concept of a cyber superpower is integral to Xi's vision of national rejuvenation. Recent rhetoric has taken on a nationalistic tone as major Chinese tech companies like ZTE and Huawei have encountered western government sanctions. The other crucial but so far less publicised aspect of the concept, state control of information flow and sharing, may gain more prominence in light of the scandals that have embroiled Facebook.
President Xi Jinping spoke at the National Cybersecurity and Informatisation Work Conference on 21 April 2018, stressing the key goals that underlie China's ambition to become a cyber superpower
- serving and shaping state–society relations
- engaging government leaders, enterprises, social groups and the public to participate governance
- guiding public opinion by promoting positive values online
- guarding social security
- cracking down on cyber crimes
- building an operation code for major online service providers
- building economic development engine and increasing international competitiveness
- integrating hi-tech tools like AI and big data with economic production
- streamlining bureaucracy and increasing administrative efficiency
- boosting civil–military cooperation