China hails Arab data security pact amid battle for cyber influence
- Agreement announced during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s Middle East visit to rally support, as China clashes with the United States and Europe
- Beijing finds common ground with Arab states after its proposed global standards for data security failed to sway Western nations, which largely backed the US’ Clean Network
It comes at a time when China’s tensions with the United States and the European Union are further escalating, with alleged human rights abuses against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang receiving renewed attention.
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Ma Zhaoxu, the deputy foreign minister, who hosted Monday’s conference for the Chinese side, said the deal was intended to create an “open, fair, non-discriminative” environment for digital development and would help give developing countries a bigger voice in global governance. No details of the agreement were revealed.
“The prominent risks and challenges on data security posed by personal information infringement and massive cyber-surveillance on other countries have made it urgent [to find] a global solution,” Ma said, according to a statement posted by the ministry on Tuesday.
Global powers have been vying for influence over the formulation of digital rules and standards.