The Chinese government has relaxed some of its rules on transferring data overseas, but international companies still face uncertainty.
Liu Liehong, now head of China's national data bureau, speaking at the Greater Bay Area Science Forum in Guangzhou, May 2023. Credit: GBA Science Forum
For over a year, businesses in China have been struggling with a vexing roadblock: how to get data out of the country. Travel agencies have had difficulty sharing hotel bookings and visa information abroad. Foreign insurers haven’t been able to access health data to calculate premiums. Some multinationals’ HR departments have struggled to manage China-based staff.
Now, Beijing has unveiled changes aimed at alleviating what has become one of the biggest gripes for foreign companies remaining in the country. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the top internet regulator, proposed late last month waiving onerous security assessments for most day-to-day business activity involving cross-border data transfers.
Current Director of the CAC, Zhuang Rongwen. Credit: CAC
It is a significant concession from the authorities, following months of tightening enforcement around privacy and data access. Some experts see the move not just as a signal that Beijing is li
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