Michael Caster (Head of Global China Programme) and I-Chen Liu (Asia Programme Officer) are researchers from the international non-profit organization ARTICLE 19, whose report “Cybersecurity with Chinese Characteristics” (2025) outlines PRC’s influence over cybersecurity norms in 3 Indo-Pacific countries: Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam; and with a Taiwan alternative. 

The Digital Silk Road is an umbrella concept that includes policies, priorities, tools, technologies, and tactics of a digital nature under the larger Belt and Road Initiative. Launched in 2015, it’s how PRC promotes its cybersecurity and digital governance norms and technical standards across the world.

It does this through public and private partnerships with Chinese tech companies that provide capacity-building initiatives: 5G cyber security test labs ​​in Malaysia, mobile payment in Thailand, data centers in Nepal, surveillance cameras in Phnom Penh and Kathmandu, submarine cables in Cambodia, and satellite systems for Thailand. While receiving such technology, recipient countries have also adopted PRC-style censorship and regulations into their legal framework. Examples include Vietnam’s 2018 cybersecurity law, which regulates aspects including content moderation and data localization. 

The PRC is now pushing for multilateral cooperation through institutions like the UN, ASEAN, and other state-led forums. It has established additional bodies like the Global Security Initiative, Global Development Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative to further the standardization of PRC-style norms. 

The researchers warn of the impact on democracy and freedom of speech this could have on the recipient country. “When China talks about multilateralism, they're doing it as a renouncing multi-stakeholderism approach; Denying civil society, the tech sector, academia, other independent actors. They're denying them a seat at the table”, says Caster.

The PRC-style of digital government becomes a toolkit for the authoritarian actor on how to use cybersecurity laws in the name of promoting safety or national security; but it’s actually introducing potentially humanitarian disaster laws that will impact the right to freedom of expression and the right to privacy.

Notable is the upcoming United Nations Cybercrime Convention in Vietnam, dubbed The Hanoi Convention, which has been rescheduled from July to October, 2025. 

The Cybersecurity with Chinese Characteristics report ends with Taiwan’s democratic model of defending cybersecurity, which ensures the participation of civil society, as an alternative model to curb digital authoritarianism. 

This report follows “The Digital Silk Road: China and the Rise of Digital Repression in the Indo-Pacific” (2024) which includes case studies from Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, and Thailand. 

To access this report: https://www.article19.org/resources/china-taiwan-cybersecurity/

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A Ghost Island Media production: www.ghostisland.media

Michael Caster (Head of Global China Programme) and&nbsp;I-Chen Liu (Asia Programme Officer) are researchers from the international non-profit organization ARTICLE 19, whose report &ldquo;<a href="https://www.article19.org/resources/china-taiwan-cybersecurity/">Cybersecurity with Chinese Characteristics</a>&rdquo; (2025) outlines PRC&rsquo;s influence over cybersecurity norms in 3 Indo-Pacific countries: Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam; and with a Taiwan alternative. The&nbsp;Digital Silk Road is an umbrella concept that includes policies, priorities, tools, technologies, and tactics of a digital nature under the larger Belt and Road Initiative. Launched in 2015, it&rsquo;s how PRC promotes its cybersecurity and digital governance norms and technical standards across the world. It does this through public and private partnerships with Chinese tech companies that provide capacity-building initiatives: 5G cyber security test labs ​​in Malaysia, mobile payment in Thailand, data centers in Nepal, surveillance cameras in Phnom Penh and Kathmandu, submarine cables in Cambodia, and satellite systems for Thailand. While receiving such technology, recipient countries have also adopted PRC-style censorship and regulations into their legal framework. Examples include Vietnam&rsquo;s 2018 cybersecurity law, which regulates aspects including content moderation and data localization.&nbsp; The PRC is now pushing for multilateral cooperation through institutions like the&nbsp;UN, ASEAN, and other state-led forums. It has established additional bodies like the Global Security Initiative, Global Development Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative to further the standardization of PRC-style norms. The researchers warn of the impact on democracy and freedom of speech this could have on the recipient country.&nbsp;&ldquo;When China talks about multilateralism, they're doing it as a renouncing multi-stakeholderism approach; Denying civil society, the tech sector, academia, other independent actors. They're denying them a seat at the table&rdquo;, says Caster. The PRC-style of digital government becomes a toolkit for the authoritarian actor on how to use cybersecurity laws in the name of promoting safety or national security; but it&rsquo;s actually introducing potentially humanitarian disaster laws that will impact the right to freedom of expression and the right to privacy. Notable is the upcoming United Nations Cybercrime Convention in Vietnam, dubbed The Hanoi Convention, which has been rescheduled from July to October, 2025.&nbsp; The&nbsp;Cybersecurity with Chinese Characteristics report ends with Taiwan&rsquo;s democratic model of defending cybersecurity, which ensures the participation of civil society, as an alternative model to curb digital authoritarianism. This report follows &ldquo;The Digital Silk Road: China and the Rise of Digital Repression in the Indo-Pacific&rdquo; (2024) which includes case studies from Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, and Thailand. To access this report:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.article19.org/resources/china-taiwan-cybersecurity/">https://www.article19.org/resources/china-taiwan-cybersecurity/</a> Support Ghost Island Media:&nbsp;<a href="http://patreon.com/taiwan">http://patreon.com/taiwan</a> Follow and tag us on social media: Ghost Island Media | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ghostislandme/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ghostislandme/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ghostislandme">Twitter</a> Emily Y. Wu | Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyywu">@emilyywu</a> A Ghost Island Media production:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ghostisland.media">www.ghostisland.media</a>

A current affairs podcast on Taiwan and the world. Every episode, we invite a journalist to a conversation with an expert to get the big picture context of what we need to know. These are global issues, and this is The Taiwan Take. 

Nominated for Best News Podcast at 2020 Excellent Journalism Award in Taiwan. Produced by Ghost Island Media in Taipei, Taiwan.

2020年台灣卓越新聞獎 Podcast 新聞獎入圍者．這是一個專門討論臺灣時事的訪談性英文節目， 以「縱觀世界議題，以臺灣觀點論述」為主軸，由記者採訪跨領域專家、名人與來賓等，第一手將臺灣的故事推向國際．

鬼島之音製作播出．

A current affairs podcast on Taiwan and the world. Every episode, we invite a journalist to a conversation with an expert to get the big picture context of what we need to know. These are global issues, and this is The Taiwan Take. Nominated for Best News Podcast at 2020 Excellent Journalism Award in Taiwan.&nbsp;Produced by Ghost Island Media in Taipei, Taiwan. 2020年台灣卓越新聞獎 Podcast 新聞獎入圍者．這是一個專門討論臺灣時事的訪談性英文節目， 以「縱觀世界議題，以臺灣觀點論述」為主軸，由記者採訪跨領域專家、名人與來賓等，第一手將臺灣的故事推向國際． 鬼島之音製作播出．

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