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

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Wang Yi (centre) made the appeal to his fellow Asean foreign ministers during an online meeting on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Published: 3:23pm, 10 Sep 2020Updated: 10:18pm, 10 Sep 2020

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on Southeast Asian nations to join Beijing’s new data security initiative to counter what China sees as Washington’s bid to curb Chinese tech around the world.

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.

Billed as an alternative to the United States’ Clean Network programme that has been joined by more than 30 countries, China’s initiative laid out rules intended to set global standards on security.

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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Separately, Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He is also expected to promote Beijing’s initiative when he meets European Commission executive vice-president Margrethe Vestager on Thursday.

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.

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

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