"China Advances International Security Standards...Develops Own Framework and Notifies Countries"

WSJ, Citing Sources
Data Security Global Initiative Expected to Be Announced
Anticipated Response to US Clean Network Program

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 7th (local time) that China plans to present its own initiative to establish international security standards in response to the US security crackdown on its domestic information technology (IT) companies.

WSJ, citing sources, reported that Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister in charge of diplomacy, is scheduled to announce the "Global Initiative on Data Security" at a seminar to be held in Beijing as early as the 8th.

It is unusual for a foreign minister responsible for diplomacy to mention the establishment of international standards on data security. In this regard, WSJ added that Chinese diplomats have already contacted numerous foreign governments to seek support for this initiative. If the report is accurate, it cannot be ruled out that our diplomatic authorities have also been asked for cooperation.

In a pre-briefing document sent to foreign diplomatic authorities, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that considering the increasing data security risks requiring a global solution, "the most urgent task now is to establish global rules and standards that reflect the aspirations and interests of many countries."

Through this initiative, China is expected to urge all countries to treat data security "in a comprehensive, objective, and evidence-based manner, and to maintain an open, secure, and stable supply chain for information and communication technologies and services."

This is interpreted as China’s intention to lead the establishment of international data security standards and form a force to counter the US, amid the Trump administration’s designation of Chinese telecommunications equipment company Huawei, involved in the construction of fifth-generation (5G) communications, as well as popular Chinese apps like TikTok and WeChat, as "national security threats" and its comprehensive regulatory measures.

The newspaper reported that China plans to urge governments worldwide to respect the sovereignty of other countries in how data is handled.

According to WSJ, the draft states that China "opposes mass surveillance of other countries and urges technology companies not to install 'backdoors' that illegally obtain user data or manipulate user systems." This is a veiled rebuttal to the suspicions raised by the US against Chinese companies.

Recently, the US announced the "Clean Network Program" targeting countries worldwide, urging them to exclude Chinese telecommunications companies, apps, cloud services, and undersea cables from internet infrastructure used by the US and others.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.