Chinese President Xi Jinping will be visiting Washington this week and meet with his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama. Against the backdrop, the two countries are busy fighting each other on the cyber front. Last year has seen a spike in Beijing-backed cyber attacks against U.S. targets.
In retaliation, the U.S. has charged Chinese officials for being involved in cyber-crimes against U.S. businesses and federal institutions, and Obama is weighing the option of slapping new sanctions against Chinese authorities.
China closes down U.S.-backed institutes. The U.S. investigates citizens of Chinese descent. The rivalry is already spilling into other domains and is dealing collateral damage to parties that aren’t necessarily involved in the cold cyber-war being waged between Beijing and Washington.
Tension continues to build up between Beijing and Washington, and as data becomes the new currency of 21st century and the internet the front to battle and compete for more of the gold, the competition might soon reach a flash point.
I’ve discussed this issue in my latest article, posted in TechCrunch, where I’ve given insights and prospects for the future of the secret battle being waged between the two countries. S
o will the two powers manage to rein-in the tension and move toward detente, or is it going to be unleashed and develop into a fully-fledged battle with possible military proportions? What will such a conflict leave in its aftermath?
Write me your thoughts in the comments section.