China launches initiative on data governance to counter U.S. Clean Network program

[nanoguy]

What just happened? A month ago, the Trump administration revealed a five-part "Clean Network" plan to drive out all Chinese tech companies from the American Internet. Now China has launched a global data security initiative to prove it has good intentions, but we'll have to wait and see how this unfolds into concrete action before we can judge its implications.

According to the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the "Clean Network" plan is a necessary move in the face of an increased threat of Chinese espionage and the propagation of a different set of values through popular apps targeting the youth.

China today responded in kind with the announcement of a similar initiative that seeks to prevent foreign governments from exerting too much control over the data of Chinese consumers. The plan is called the "Global Initiative on Data Security," and is comprised of a set of rules concerning data governance and security.

Chinese officials don't mention the Clean Network program in the preliminary draft, but their press statements suggest it was indeed the driving force behind the Global Initiative on Data Security. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted "the unilateralism practised by certain countries in the name of cleanliness, and the global hunting of the leading enterprises of other countries on the pretext of security, are blatant acts of bullying that should be opposed and rejected."

Wang believes there is a deficit in global data governance and as such countries should work on communication and coordination to build mutual trust when it comes to the way they handle the data that flows through Internet and telecom infrastructure. This trust deficit was highlighted by Pompeo in his recent remarks about the fact that Chinese companies are required by law to share information with the Chinese government whenever they're asked to do so.

At least in theory, the Global Initiative on Data Security would call on tech companies to refrain from manipulating the hardware and software of their customers, illegally extracting data from devices, or installing backdoors into their products. It would also establish bilateral agreements on cross-border data circulation that "does not infringe a third country's juridical sovereignty and data security." In other words, no espionage or mass surveillance allowed, unless it's done through subtle influence on UN standards.

Wang also reiterated that the Chinese government has not and will not require domestic companies to violate other countries' laws when handling overseas data. In the meantime, there's the issue of two state-sponsored Chinese hackers that have been charged on 11 counts earlier this year for a decade of espionage on US robotics, aircraft, energy, and biotech engineering -- to name a few. Their most recent campaigns have targeted coronavirus vaccine research.

Image credit: Global Times

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https://www.techspot.com/news/86672-china-launches-initiative-data-governance-counter-us-clean.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

China has 1.4 Billion people and for the most part unlimited access to East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and Australia.

The bottom line is that by being a highly productive manufacturing juggernaut, China has the long-game down packed. The US and its fewer-than-340 million- deeply indebted citizens facing an impending mortgage crisis, evictions and job loss are in no position to argue.

The big picture is that the governments, in general, are angry that merely by having access to the internet, the people, regardless where they are from have power that even the governments themselves can't control. A single video clip posted without censorship or personal responsibility has the power to ignite protests and rioting on a global scale. That is power.

The governments are in no way able to hold this level of communication back or manage it because people just keep coming up with better and more efficient ways to beat the system.

Using data security and cyberterrorist threats as a pretext, the governments are just trying to take away as many of our internet freedoms as possible and the people are too stupid and oblivious to fight back.

There is a war on my iPhone between Chinese apps and American apps.

Both want my information and both consider me an anticitizen.

 

[SilentMarket]

China has 1.4 Billion people and for the most part unlimited access to East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and Australia.

The bottom line is that by being a highly productive manufacturing juggernaut, China has the long-game down packed. The US and its fewer-than-340 million- deeply indebted citizens facing an impending mortgage crisis, evictions and job loss are in no position to argue.

The big picture is that the governments, in general, are angry that merely by having access to the internet, the people, regardless where they are from have power that even the governments themselves can't control. A single video clip posted without censorship or personal responsibility has the power to ignite protests and rioting on a global scale. That is power.

The governments are in no way able to hold this level of communication back or manage it because people just keep coming up with better and more efficient ways to beat the system.

Using data security and cyberterrorist threats as a pretext, the governments are just trying to take away as many of our internet freedoms as possible and the people are too stupid and oblivious to fight back.

There is a war on my iPhone between Chinese apps and American apps.

Both want my information and both consider me an anticitizen.

You know nothing about China. Just like Americans know nothing about the lockdown. The lockdown only works while everyone is locked down.

 

[Kirby1]

China and internet security huh... Only have to leave on at Hong Kong to know how badly that would go.

 

[Endymio]

China has the long-game down packed. The US and its fewer-than-340 million- deeply indebted citizens...are in no position to argue.

So Mr. Chamberlain, your advice is to roll over, play dead, and allow China to flout human rights and international law?

the governments are just trying to take away as many of our internet freedoms as possible and the people are too stupid and oblivious to fight back.

I'm not sure what freedoms you believe the US is attempting to claw from you, but the Chinese citizenry are far from oblivious about what is being done to them. Their options are limited, however. Are you yourself willing to have a tank roll over you, to protest your right to post freely on the Internet?

 

[QuantumPhysics]

So Mr. Chamberlain, your advice is to roll over, play dead, and allow China to flout human rights and international law?

I'm not sure what freedoms you believe the US is attempting to claw from you, but the Chinese citizenry are far from oblivious about what is being done to them. Their options are limited, however. Are you yourself willing to have a tank roll over you, to protest your right to post freely on the Internet?

China has existed for how many years?

America has existed for how many years? And this only started with Trump - who won't even be in office by 2024 - regardless whether he wins again or not.

China has the long game down.

 

[mbrowne5061]

China has 1.4 Billion people and for the most part unlimited access to East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and Australia.

You should really double-check your world maps. China only has unlimited access to the rest of the world so long as Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and the US allows it. The East and South China Seas are too shallow to put subs out into the pacific without them ending up with an American sub tailing them, and the US is busy converting their existing Tomahawk missiles into land-based anti-ship missiles so they can be deployed in SEA. And lets not forget the recent efforts to develop intermediate range anti-ship ballistic missiles, now that the US (and Russia) are no longer bound by that agreement. China's only real advantage in the SEA was their large number of - questionably accurate and reliable - anti-ship ballistic missiles, which the US is getting ready to match.

China has existed for how many years?

Sure, we all know the claim "6,000 years", during which they have been conquered, and re-conquered multiple times. Governments change. Cultures change. The 'current' China has really only existed since the end of WWII, and the only thing they have outlasted so-far is the USSR. So what is your point?

And this only started with Trump - who won't even be in office by 2024 - regardless whether he wins again or not.

I harbor no love for Trump, but he only accelerated the inevitable. Obama recognized the problem that China was beginning to pose, and spent 8 years trying to offer them the proverbial carrot. Trump's switch to using the stick - while sudden and crude - was going to happen even if Hillary had won.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

...China only has unlimited access to the rest of the world...

Naturally, you limited your field of view to weapons and militarism.

China conquered the world without firing a single shot.

Simply by being more productive and appealing to capitalism at the expense of its workers health - while simultaneously pulling more than 500,000,000 people out of poverty in a period of time so short that Charles Darwin would be astonished.

You literally have no idea about China's long-game and I doubt you've ever been there.

China's playing Chess. Not checkers.

 

[Bullwinkle M]

I'm not worried about any online threats from China, the U.S. or Microsoft because I still run Windows XP

 

[candle_86]

Yeah we're all going to take Internet security advice from China. Literally the most piece of crap country on the planet. Their idea of Internet security is laughable, and they have the audacity to pass laws that makes me saying that China is crap illegal and then I should be extradited for it. Yeah let's not trust a word that comes out of these people's mouth, and step let's block hate their porch and just shut down the Chinese economy tell the Chinese people that they can eat and have gasoline as soon as they overthrow their government.

 

[mbrowne5061]

Naturally, you limited your field of view to weapons and militarism.

China conquered the world without firing a single shot.

Simply by being more productive and appealing to capitalism at the expense of its workers health - while simultaneously pulling more than 500,000,000 people out of poverty in a period of time so short that Charles Darwin would be astonished.

You literally have no idea about China's long-game and I doubt you've ever been there.

China's playing Chess. Not checkers.

And India is about to steal the world right out from under them by doing what China did in the 90s. I guess that means India is playing Go, not Chess?

 

[BadThad]

China is COMMUNIST, they can NEVER be trusted. Their goal is to control the entire world. Just ask Quid Pro Joe, he's in deep with China, he'd love to have them overthrow America so he and the rest of the leftists can implement control over the people.