006.2: CHINA'S STRATEGIC CHESSBOARD: Where Salt Typhoon Fits

Episode Description:

Dive into the complex world of cybersecurity and geopolitics with this addendum episode of Intrusions in Depth, hosted by Josh Stapp. Expanding on the Salt Typhoon episode, this podcast explores China's strategic cyber operations, global ambitions, and the evolving nature of modern warfare. From hacking tactics to pursuing economic and military dominance. Learn how groups like Salt Typhoon fit into China's broader geopolitical goals.

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Main Topics Discussed:

1. China’s Strategic Goals and the "China Dream": Examines Xi Jinping’s vision for China’s rejuvenation, aiming for economic prosperity, technological leadership, and military strength by 2049, with initiatives like Made in China 2025 and the Belt and Road Initiative.

2. Evolution of Warfare and Unrestricted Warfare Doctrine: Analyzes how China’s approach to warfare, inspired by the 1999 book Unrestricted Warfare, blends cyber, economic, and psychological tactics to exploit vulnerabilities, contrasting with Western military strategies.

3. The AI Race and Technological Competition: Explores the U.S.-China race for AI dominance, highlighting differences in innovation styles, data privacy approaches, and the role of AI as a force multiplier in modern conflicts.

4. Soft Power and Global Influence: Discusses China’s soft power strategies, including cultural exports like Confucius Institutes, economic diplomacy via the Belt and Road Initiative, and narrative control to shape global perceptions.

5. Deterrence and Defense Against Cyber Threats: Proposes solutions to counter groups like Salt Typhoon, weighing the challenges of bolstering cyber defenses and imposing economic or diplomatic costs on adversaries without escalating conflicts.

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Links and Resources:

The Sequence Opinion #489: CRAZY: How DeepSeek R1 Bypassed CUDA with Lower-Level GPU Optimization Techniques

• https://fs.blog/bias-conjunction-fallacy/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrijos%E2%80%93Carter_Treaties

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Fox_Hunt

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_intelligence_activity_abroad

• https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/cyber-soft-power-chinas-continental-takeover/

• https://www.propublica.org/article/operation-fox-hunt-how-china-exports-repression-using-a-network-of-spies-hidden-in-plain-sight

• https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/11/if-the-u-s-doesnt-control-corporate-power-china-will/

• https://www.fbi.gov/news/speeches/the-threat-posed-by-the-chinese-government-and-the-chinese-communist-party-to-the-economic-and-national-security-of-the-united-states

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Fujimori

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos

• https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/07/china-salt-typhoon-hack-threat-panic-washington/

• https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1440&context=hcoltheses

• https://luluyan.medium.com/deepseeks-prompt-engineering-secret-there-is-no-secret-8107b14e1e56

• https://www.vellum.ai/blog/the-training-of-deepseek-r1-and-ways-to-use-it

• https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/DeepSeek-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/china-database-lists-breedready-status-of-18-million-women

• https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/made-china-2025-threat-global-trade

• https://apt.etda.or.th/cgi-bin/showcard.cgi?g=APT%2031%2C%20Judgment%20Panda%2C%20Zirconium&n=1

• https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/cyber-soft-power-chinas-continental-takeover/

• https://breakingdefense.com/2021/09/chinas-new-data-security-law-will-provide-it-early-notice-of-exploitable-zero-days/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_China_2025

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_humiliation

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Books:

• Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America

  by Christopher Wylie

• Targeted: My Inside Story of Cambridge Analytica and How Trump and Facebook Broke Democracy by Brittany Kaiser

• Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America

  by Qiao Liang, Wang Xiangsui

• Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail by Ray Dalio
  

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Credits:

• Host: Josh Stepp

• Produced by: Josh Stepp

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Thank you for tuning in to Intrusions in Depth. Stay informed, stay safe, and see you in the next episode!