Zheng Bijian’s proposal for China to become a world-class cyber great power within ten years was considered, accepted, and forwarded for further review in July 2013 by four Politburo members (one of them a Standing Committee member), and then publicly accepted by Xi Jinping in February 2014 when he called for China to achieve Cyber Great Power status during the first meeting of the newly formed Central Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization.
Please note: The document was signed by party leaders, both military and civilian. In China, cyberspace was a “fused” domain from the start. A lot more to come on that, and what it means in terms of Digital China.
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
中国共产党中央委员会
Please read the notification by (State Council Vice Premier; Politburo Standing Committee Member) Zhang Gaoli, (State Council Vice Premier; Politburo Member) Ma Kai, (CMC Vice Chairman; Politburo Member) Xu Qiliang, and (CMC Vice Chairman;Politburo Member) Fan Changlong.
请高丽、马凯、其亮、长龙通知阅。
Comrade Zheng Bijian’s proposal on building a world-class cyber great power deserves careful study.
郑必坚同志关于建设世界一流网络强国的建议值得认真研究。
Cybersecurity is a matter of national security, economic development, and social stability. We must view the situation holistically from the national strategic level. Rules and regulations must be well designed, policies must be implemented comprehensively, and the institutional advantage of concentrating efforts on major tasks must be used to identify gaps and increase investment. We must catch up and work hard to build our country into a cyber great power with a clear strategy, advanced technology, industrial leadership, and a well-equipped government.
网络安全事关国家安全、 经济发展和社会稳定要，从国家战略层面整体布局, 搞好规则设计, 综合施策，发挥集中力量办大事的制度优势，找准差距, 加大投入，都起直追，努力吧我国建成战略清晰、技术先进、产业领先、政务兼备的网络强国。
Find the Central Committee notification here. For the full story, see David Dorman and John Hemmings, “Digital China: The Strategy and Its Geopolitical Implications,” Issues and Insights, February 21, 2023.