China’s legislature adopted a sweeping national security law on Wednesday that covers everything from territorial sovereignty to measures to tighten cyber security, a move likely to rile foreign businesses.
A core component of the law, passed by the standing committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), is to make all key network infrastructure and information systems “secure and controllable”.
President Xi Jinping has said China’s security covers areas including politics, culture, the military, the economy, technology and the environment.
But foreign business groups and diplomats have argued that the law is vague and fear it could require that technology firms make products in China or use source code released to inspectors, forcing them to expose intellectual property.
Zheng Shuna, vice chairwoman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC standing committee, downplayed those concerns, saying China welcomes “all countries’ businesses to operate in China and provide legitimate services according to law”.
“We will continue to follow the path of peaceful development but we absolutely will not give up our legitimate rights and absolutely will not sacrifice the country’s core interests,” she said at a briefing.
The security of territorial seas and airspace is among those core interests, which, according to the legislation, China will take “all necessary measures” to safeguard.
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The law, which comes amid tensions with neighbors over disputes in the South China and East China Seas, passed through the NPC standing committee, the top body of China’s rubber stamp parliament, by a vote of 154 to zero, with one abstention.
