The Historical Evolution and Future Prospects of China’s Cyberspace Information Security Policies—From the Perspective of Historical Institutionalism

Abstract

In recent years, cyberspace information security has increasingly occupied a vital position in the national security system, and its construction serves as a fundamental guarantee for China to become a cyberpower. Based on the analytical framework of historical institutionalism, China's cyberspace information security policies have gone through the embryonic, initial, growth, and acceleration periods. Under the macro-fields of stable political structure, reform-oriented economic system, and disruptive technological innovation, these policies have formed a path dependence dominated by the priority of science and technology and an encouraging development model. The stimulation of the external environment and the game among internal subjects constitute the driving forces behind their evolution. Looking at the history, China's cyberspace information security policies need to improve the supporting policy system, refine domain-specific and hierarchical regulations, and build a concomitant mechanism of technology-cyberspace-policy in the future.