Cybersecurity Strategy in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan

China’s high-level cyber strategy for the next five years continues the effort to build a cyber superpower, outlining more detailed requirements

On March 12, 2026, the National People’s Congress approved the “Outline of the 15^th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (15^th FYP) of the People’s Republic of China” (中华人民共和国国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划纲要) (15^th FYP), the country’s highest-level development blueprint, which covers the years 2026 to 2030. Over the years, the Western cybersecurity industry, the US government and other private and public organizations have reported that China’s cyber operation targets are closely aligned with its strategic plans, including the FYP. Therefore, examining the strategic objectives in the FYPs is necessary to identify the likely intelligence requirements of China’s cyber operations. Meanwhile, the Natto Team has observed that China has incorporated relevant cybersecurity strategies into its FYPs since the 11th FYP (2006–2010) – from “strengthening the information safety (or security) guarantee” in the 11^th FYP to “strengthening network and information security” in the 12^th FYP, t…