US flags fears over China’s new VPN rules with the World Trade Organisation
Washington says cross-border businesses such as travel agencies could be affected by the restrictions
The United States told the World Trade Organisation on Friday that Chinese internet access rules coming into force next month appeared to create significant new restrictions for cross-border service suppliers and should be discussed at the WTO.
“The United States urges China to address these concerns quickly and pursue new policies that promote rather than disrupt cross-border transfers of information and trade in services,” it said in a statement to the WTO’s Services Council.
In January last year, China published a circular on “Cleaning up and Regulating the Internet Access Service Market”, which seemed to put new restrictions on virtual private networks (VPNs) and leased lines, it said.
VPNs can be used to access websites that are banned in China, which aggressively censors the internet, blocking sites it thinks could challenge the rule of the Communist Party or threaten stability.
The circular would expressly ban VPNs or leased lines from connecting data centres inside and outside China, the US statement said.
It gave examples of services that might be affected, such as travel agents in China accessing international flight information, or clients using text messages to access technical support or customer service based abroad.