Framing Cyber Security in Taiwan: A Perspective of Discursive Knowledge Production

Abstract

In 2019, the Tsai Ing-wen administration in Taiwan successfully amended the National Security Act as a protective measure against threats in cyberspace. However, Taiwan has perceived itself under China’s cyber-attacks since 1999, yet it is only the Tsai administration that was able to mobilize substantial resources to counter this threat. To understand what has been different in her endeavor, this paper investigated this historical development in the discourse of Taiwan’s cyber security via the analytical framework of securitization. It argues that the improvement of Taiwan’s cyber posture under Tsai is not due to the previous administrations’ ignorance of cyber threats but is due to the unique context that enables discursive practices of knowledge production during the Tsai administration to deliver a more convincing claim. The investigation further provides cautious notes on the potential adverse effect of this securitization.