Against the prevailing assumption, Chinese cyber espionage is not the primary driver of PLA modernization — case studies show the majority of modernized PLA platforms were developed from overt acquisitions, indigenous research, and physical espionage; cyber theft works as a supplementary, not critical, component alongside those methods.

— In our words · Source: Chinese Cyber Espionage: A Complementary Method to Aid PLA Modernization (Jamie M. Ellis)