中國網絡安全規則將阻礙增長

A coalition of some of the world’s biggest business groups has called on China to revise a new cyber security law and insurance regulations, warning they represent a protectionist threat to growth that would further isolate China from the global digital economy.

由全球一些最大商業團體組成的聯盟呼籲中國修訂新的網絡安全法律和保險業法規，警告這些法律法規是對經濟增長構成的保護主義威脅，將進一步使中國孤立於全球數字經濟以外。

The move comes amid growing concerns in Washington and other western capitals about China-backed cyber attacks on foreign businesses and what they see as the increasing barriers being erected by Beijing to one of the world’s largest digital markets.

此舉適逢華盛頓和其他西方國家首都越來越擔憂中國支持的針對境外企業的網絡攻擊，以及在他們看來北京方面爲全球最大數字市場之一豎起的越來越多准入障礙。

It marks the biggest intervention with the Chinese leadership by international business since 2010, when concerns were focused on China’s control of the market for “rare earths” crucial to the production of mobile phones.

這標誌着國際商界自2010年以來向中國領導層發起的最大交涉；那時的擔憂聚焦於中國控制“稀土”市場，稀土是智能手機等高技術產品的關鍵原料。

The intervention by the top business groups from the US, Japan and Europe, and more than 40 others, came in the form of a letter sent this week to Li Keqiang, China’s premier. It was signed by the US Chamber of Commerce, BusinessEurope and Japan’s Keidanren, as well as industry groups representing the financial services, technology and manufacturing industries and business lobbies in countries such as Australia, Mexico and Switzerland.

由美國、日本和歐洲的頂尖商業團體，以及40餘個行業組織發起的交涉，以本週發給中國總理李克強的一封信爲形式。簽署該信的有美國商會(US Chamber of Commerce)、商業歐洲(BusinessEurope)、日本經濟團體聯合會(Keidanren)，以及代表澳大利亞、墨西哥和瑞士等國金融服務、科技和製造業的行業組織和商業遊說團體。

Their concerns focus on provisions that would force foreign companies to store data in China, assist law enforcement investigations and subject information technology products to security reviews. “[These provisions] have no additional security benefits but would impede economic growth and create barriers to entry for both foreign and Chinese companies,” the letter stated.

他們的擔憂集中於中國新法規的某些內容，包括迫使境外公司將數據存儲在中國境內、協助執法調查以及允許信息技術產品接受安全審查。“（這些規定）沒有額外的安全效益，卻會阻礙經濟增長，對外資和中資企業都製造准入障礙，”信中寫道。

There is growing frustration among foreign companies and chambers of commerce at what they see as an increasingly hostile environment in China. This includes a series of anti-monopoly investigations that have targeted multinationals, and persistent market entry barriers. Market reforms outlined by the ruling Chinese Communist party in 2013 have also not materialised.

目前外國企業和商會對他們眼裏中國日益惡劣的營商環境越來越不滿，包括一系列針對跨國公司的反壟斷調查，以及頑固的市場準入障礙。執政的中國共產黨在2013年承諾的市場化改革也沒有兌現。

That has fed rising trade tensions and led to questions about Chinese investment in countries including the US and UK. Britain’s new government has launched a review of Chinese investment in a proposed nuclear power plant, while Australia yesterday blocked a group of Chinese companies from buying up part of its power grid for national security reasons.

這種局面助燃了不斷升溫的貿易緊張，並導致中國在多個國家（包括美國和英國）的投資項目引發質疑。英國新政府已決定重審一個有中資參與的擬議核電站項目，而澳大利亞昨日基於國家安全理由，阻止一批中國企業收購澳大利亞電網的一部分。

The controversial draft cyber security law and insurance sector purchasing requirements, drawn up by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, come less than a year after foreign business groups and governments lobbied against similar provisions in an Anti-Terrorism Law and draft rules governing banks’ IT purchases.

有爭議的網絡安全法草案和由中國保險監督管理委員會(CIRC)制定的保險業採購要求出爐不到一年前，外國商業團體和政府曾遊說反對中國《反恐法》以及銀行IT採購規則草案中的類似規定。

The bank regulations were postponed last year while the Anti-Terrorism Law was passed by China’s legislature in December. The law requires IT providers to assist authorities in antiterrorism investigations but stopped short of forcing them to provide encryption keys and other “back doors” into their systems.

銀行採購規則去年被推遲，而《反恐法》由中國人大在去年12月通過。該法要求IT提供商協助當局進行反恐調查，但沒有迫使廠商交出加密密鑰和進入其系統的其他“後門”。

Jared Ragland, senior Asia policy director for The Software Alliance, a signatory of the new letter, said China was not alone in erecting trade barriers in the name of cyber security or privacy. But he said “China is fairly unique in creating its own internal [digital] ecosystem”.

致李克強信函的簽署者之一“軟件聯盟”(The Software Alliance)的資深亞洲政策總監賈裏德•拉格蘭德(Jared Ragland)表示，中國並不是唯一以網絡安全或隱私爲名義設置貿易壁壘的國家。但他表示，“中國在創建自己的內部（數字）生態系統方面相當獨特。”

China’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment yesterday. Beijing has previously said the antiterrorism and cyber security laws were not aimed at foreign companies.

中國外交部昨日沒有迴應置評請求。北京方面此前曾表示，反恐和網絡安全法律並不針對境外公司。

The letter sent to Mr Li, says the new insurance sector purchasing requirements “may constitute technical barriers to trade as defined by the World Trade Organisation” , which China joined in 2001. Beijing, meanwhile, has complained about Washington and Brussels’ reluctance to recognise China as a market economy, which would make it harder to prosecute Chinese companies for alleged dumping.

致李克強的信件寫道，新的保險業採購要求“可能構成符合世界貿易組織(WTO)定義的技術性貿易壁壘”；中國在2001年加入世貿組織。與此同時，北京方面抱怨美國和歐盟不願承認中國的市場經濟地位，這種地位將加大起訴中國企業涉嫌傾銷的難度。