EU says the lack of clarity in China’s data laws is concerning. European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said Tuesday that China’s data regulations’ “lack of clarity” and “long processes” worry EU businesses.
China expanded its counter-espionage statute in July. It now restricts the transmission of national security and interests information without defining them and expands surveillance to encompass cyberattacks on state organs or vital infrastructure.
Foreign enterprises are unsure where to cross the law due to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s increased attention on national security, particularly a crackdown on consultants and due diligence firms.
Jourova said the lack of definitions for crucial data, how the law might be broken, and how long procedural things take were issues.
“I think it’s 45 days for one process,” Jourova said. It often lasts longer.”
She spoke on Monday after co-chairing the first EU-China High-level Digital Dialogue in three years.
“We will propose to the Chinese authorities a link to help EU businesses understand the law and avoid noncompliance,” she said.
She said China is a partner, competitor, and systemic adversary in the digital world, but systemic rivalry is the most significant.
In disagreements, China and Europe must keep communication channels open, she said.
The Chinese commerce ministry briefed 30 international corporations and representatives from the U.S., European, Japanese, and South Korean chambers of commerce on the new anti-espionage law in late July. The government said China wants a fair, transparent, and predictable business environment.
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