中國網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全法引發(fā)外國企業(yè)擔(dān)憂

China has passed a sweeping law tightening restrictions on internet freedoms, a contentious move that foreign businesses say threatens to shut them out of one of the world’s biggest technology markets.

中國通過了一部全面收緊對互聯(lián)網(wǎng)自由的限制的法律，外國企業(yè)表示，這一爭議舉動使得它們有被身為世界最大科技市場之一的中國市場排除在外的危險。

Overseas groups have been lobbying Beijing to amend the cyber security law since it was first mooted in 2014 but the final version, which was adopted yesterday, left most of the controversial sections intact.

自《網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全法》2014年開始起草以來，海外團(tuán)體一直在游說北京方面修改草案內(nèi)容。但昨日通過的最終版本顯示，大多數(shù)爭議內(nèi)容仍原封不動地保留了下來。

Provisions in the new rules, which come into effect next June, require operators of “critical information infrastructure” to store certain personal and business data in China, undergo national security reviews and assist the country’s security agencies.

該法將于明年6月起生效，其中的條款要求“關(guān)鍵信息基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施”的運營者將特定個人信息和商業(yè)數(shù)據(jù)存儲在中國境內(nèi)、進(jìn)行國家安全評估并對中國的安全機構(gòu)予以協(xié)助。

Analysts say other clauses could be used to ban foreign technology in communications, encryption and even the internet of things as China develops its own systems, products and algorithms.

分析師稱，在中國發(fā)展自己的系統(tǒng)、產(chǎn)品和算法之際，該法的其他條款可以用來在通信、加密、甚至物聯(lián)網(wǎng)領(lǐng)域封禁外國技術(shù)。

The American Chamber of Commerce in China said yesterday that the law was “a step backwards for innovation” because it placed restrictions on cross-border data flows and seemed “to emphasise protectionism rather than security”.

中國美國商會(American Chamber of Commerce)昨日表示，該法“對創(chuàng)新而言是倒退了一步”，因為它對跨境數(shù)據(jù)流動施加了限制，似乎“著重于貿(mào)易保護(hù)主義而非安全”。

The broad restrictions “provide no security benefits but will create barriers to Chinese as well as foreign companies operating in industries where data needs to be shared internationally,” Jim Zimmerman, the chamber’s chairman, said in a statement.

這種大范圍的限制“并不帶來安全方面的好處，卻將制造障礙，不僅阻礙在數(shù)據(jù)需要全球共享的行業(yè)中經(jīng)營的外國企業(yè)，也阻礙在這些行業(yè)中經(jīng)營的中國企業(yè)，”該商會會長詹姆斯•齊默爾曼(James Zimmerman)在聲明中表示。

However, Zhao Zeliang of the Cyberspace Administration of China insisted yesterday that “we are not setting a trade barrier to foreign internet products, neither are we limiting technologies and products from coming into China”.

然而，中國國家互聯(lián)網(wǎng)信息辦公室(Cyberspace Administration of China)的趙澤良昨日堅稱，“網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全法不是要限制國外的技術(shù)、產(chǎn)品，也不是要搞貿(mào)易壁壘……我們的網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全法不是要限制國外的技術(shù)、產(chǎn)品的進(jìn)入”。

He said: “The goal of the cyber security law is to protect internet safety [and] national security and protect the interests of the public.”

他說：“制定網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全法就是要維護(hù)網(wǎng)絡(luò)空間的國家主權(quán)，就是要維護(hù)網(wǎng)絡(luò)空間的國家安全，就是要維護(hù)公共利益。”

Mr Zhao added that the law was primarily aimed at preventing service providers from illegally obtaining user information or controlling user devices. He said it was aimed at controlling “unequal competition and unlawful profits”.

趙澤良補充稱，該法首先是要阻止產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)提供者非法獲取用戶信息或非法控制用戶設(shè)備。他稱該法旨在遏制產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)提供者“搞不正當(dāng)競爭、謀取不正當(dāng)利益”。

Shen Yi of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University defended the law, saying “there’s no need to exaggerate the requirements on key equipment and security products for foreign companies”.

復(fù)旦大學(xué)(Fudan University)國際關(guān)系與公共事務(wù)學(xué)院的沈逸為該法辯護(hù)稱，“沒有必要夸大在關(guān)鍵設(shè)備和安全產(chǎn)品上對外國企業(yè)的要求”。

He highlighted the fact that the regulation on data transfers abroad only applied to “key information infrastructure providers”.

他強調(diào)了一個事實，即對向國外傳輸數(shù)據(jù)的監(jiān)管只針對“關(guān)鍵信息基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的提供者”。

James McGregor, head of consultancy Apco Worldwide, which works with a number of technology companies, said that much would depend on how the law was interpreted by regulators.

咨詢公司安可顧問(APCO Worldwide)大中華區(qū)主席麥健陸(James McGregor)稱，這很大程度上取決于監(jiān)管者如何解釋該法。安可顧問與多家科技公司有業(yè)務(wù)聯(lián)系。

“All laws in China contain vague definitions so regulators have lots of leeway and flexibility in interpretation and implementation,” he explained. “This cyber security law could be viewed as quite threatening to foreign technology companies.”

“中國所有法律都有模糊的定義，所以監(jiān)管者在解釋和執(zhí)行法律時有很大的空間和靈活度，”他解釋稱，“這部《網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全法》可以被視為對外國科技公司具有相當(dāng)?shù)耐{。”

China’s internet is already subject to the world’s most sophisticated online censorship mechanism, known outside the country as the Great Firewall, but the restrictions proposed by the law go beyond what has previously been banned, according to freedom of speech advocates.

中國互聯(lián)網(wǎng)已然受制于世界上最復(fù)雜的網(wǎng)絡(luò)審查機制——該機制被國外稱為“長城防火墻”(Great Firewall)。但言論自由的擁護(hù)者表示，《網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全法》所提出的那些限制的針對面不止限于之前已禁止的那些東西。

“The already heavily censored internet in China needs more freedom, not less,” Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

“中國已然被嚴(yán)格審查的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)需要更多自由，而不是更少。”人權(quán)觀察(Human Rights Watch)中國部主任索菲•理查森(Sophie Richardson)在一份聲明中表示。

The new law has been causing concern among foreign business for two years as a series of drafts have trickled out. In August, more than 40 industry groups worldwide expressed their fears in a letter to the country’s premier, Li Keqiang.

這部新法在一系列草案一點點公布的過程中，已經(jīng)讓外國企業(yè)擔(dān)心了兩年。8月份，全球超過40家行業(yè)團(tuán)體致信中國總理李克強，表達(dá)了自己的擔(dān)憂。