BEIJING: Experts said China’s new rules on cross-border data flows send a positive signal to businesses, facilitating the high-quality development of the digital economy and helping advance high-level opening-up.
The Cyberspace Administration of China issued the 14-article rules on promoting and regulating the flow of cross-border data on Friday, carving out standards for the assessment of exported data.
Under the rules, which took effect immediately, a security review by relevant departments is required for critical information infrastructure operators when they send personal information or important data overseas. Important data refers to information that, if tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally accessed or unlawfully utilized may harm national security, economic operations, social stability and public health and safety. While highlighting the importance of data security, the rules also specify six circumstances in which data processors can be exempt from declaration and review. Wang Xixin, a law professor at Peking University, said the rules show “our country’s efforts to meet new demands in digital trade and its innovative concept in the supervision and transmission of cross-border data”.
For instance, data collected and generated during activities such as international trade, cross-border transportation, academic operations and transnational manufacturing, which do not contain personal information or important data, are exempt from security review, according to the rules. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
