Who Sets the Rules for Cyberspace? China’s Cyber Sovereignty and Digital Norms

In this episode of Mapping Global China Conversations, Professor Maria Adele Carrai speaks with Tom Nunlist, a researcher and analyst at Trivium China, about the growing influence of China in shaping the global internet order. Nunlist breaks down the concept of “cyber sovereignty”—C hina’s vision for national control over digital infrastructure — and explains how Chinese tech firms, standards-setting bodies, and evolving regulatory frameworks are quietly rewriting the rules of cyberspace.

📌 What are the implications of China’s approach for global internet governance?

📌 How do Chinese firms influence global norms, standards, and platforms?

📌 Is “cyber sovereignty” a model other states are starting to adopt?

This timely conversation explores the tensions between cybersecurity, state control, and digital openness in a multipolar world—and why it matters for policymakers, scholars, and everyday users.

🔗 Guest Bio Tom Nunlist is a senior analyst at Trivium China, where he tracks regulatory developments and policy shifts in China’s tech sector, including data governance, cybersecurity, and AI. He writes the China Tech & Policy newsletter and regularly briefs decision-makers on Beijing’s digital strategies.