China Pushes Amendment to Counter-Espionage Law to Include 'Cyber Espionage Activities'

by Lee Seungjin

Published 22 Apr.2023 10:55(KST)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

China is set to push for amendments to the "Counter-Espionage Law" focusing on explicitly defining "cyber espionage activities."

Local media, including China News Network, reported on the 22nd that Zhang Qiaowei, spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), stated at a briefing the previous day that "the draft amendment to the Counter-Espionage Law will be reviewed at the 2nd session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee meeting scheduled for June 24-26."

Spokesperson Zhang explained, "The amendment supplements regulations on cyber espionage activities," adding, "It explicitly defines acts of cyber attacks, intrusion, interference, control, or destruction carried out by espionage organizations or their agents against state agencies, departments related to confidential matters, and key information infrastructure as espionage activities."

He said, "Traditional security threats and non-traditional security threats are intertwined, and the actors involved in espionage activities have become increasingly complex, with expanding domains and more covert methods," emphasizing, "It is necessary to strengthen responses to espionage activities such as cyber infiltration, subversion, and theft of confidential information in line with the new circumstances to ensure national security."

He added, "The current law has a narrow scope of espionage activity regulations, insufficient provisions for prevention, and limited law enforcement authority, so improvements are needed."

Spokesperson Zhang also noted, "The amendment balances the powers and restrictions of the agencies responsible for (cyber espionage activities) and increases remedies to prevent undue harm," adding, "Once security risks related to cyberspace in connection with espionage activities are resolved, the decision to resume services in the affected cyberspace will be made promptly."

China enacted the National Security Law in 1993, which defined the duties of national security agencies regarding counter-espionage, and revised it into the Counter-Espionage Law in 2014.