China urges neighbours to back its data security ideas, not the US’
- Beijing launched the Initiative on Global Data Security to try to ease concerns about Chinese tech firms
- Washington’s equivalent, The Clean Network, has expanded, while US continues to target the likes of TikTok and Huawei
Wang said during a virtual meeting on Wednesday with foreign ministers from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc that China would welcome an “active response” from its neighbours on the Initiative on Global Data Security, which it launched on Tuesday in an effort to ease security concerns about Chinese tech companies.
It includes pledges that Beijing will not ask Chinese companies to transfer overseas data to the Chinese government and that companies should not install “back doors” in their products and services to illegally obtain users’ data. The initiative also calls on states to oppose mass surveillance against other states.
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China’s push for the initiative comes with ByteDance, the Beijing-based parent company of short video app TikTok, reportedly in talks with the US government about its sale of the app’s US operations amid accusations that it has sent its US user data to China.
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Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jnr was quoted in an article posted by the Chinese foreign ministry as saying that Asean nations “pay close attention” to the Chinese-led initiative and were willing to work with China on strengthening cooperation on cybersecurity and global digital governance.
He described Washington as the biggest driver of militarisation in the disputed sea and said it had been smearing China’s actions in the area.
“Peace and stability are China’s greatest strategic interest in the South China Sea,” Wang said.
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He said Beijing’s “construction” of maritime features in contested areas was aimed at providing “public goods” for the area and ensuring its own security.
“In the face of escalating military pressure from countries outside the region, we certainly have the basic self-protection rights of sovereign states,” Wang said.