Shen Weiguang – Father of China’s Information Warfare Theory, Who Could not Type

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting” – Sun Tzu.

Note added August 7th 2024: This is a post the Natto Team published on June 8, 2023. It digs into archives and publications published 30 years ago to unveil stories about Shen Weiguang, one of the most prominent theorists in the field of information warfare. Shen's story illustrates Chinese thinking and approaches to technological advancement and its possible setbacks. These kinds of thinking and approaches are still relevant to China's information warfare strategy to present times. 

The concept of Information warfare, which refers to an operation that uses and manages information and communication technology (ICT)  to gain a competitive advantage over the opponent, was introduced in China in the mid 1980s when the country’s development of ICT was still in its infancy. Shen Weiguang (沈伟光), a former Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) major, was one of the most prominent theorists in the field of information warfare. Chinese media reports claim Shen was the first person in the world …