China sets up five year cross-border big data security plan

According to an announcement by China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT), the plan is based on China’s 14^th five-year plan and comes as part of the country’s efforts to enhance its regulatory framework for data and technology.

Major tasks in the plan (20-page, 428KB PDF) include to improve data marketisation and set up relevant rules; to improve data security systems and technology; to optimise big data public services and to promote the development of industrial clusters; and to play a leading role in setting up technical standards globally.

Leo Xin of Pinsent Masons said: “The five-year plan shows that China will make further efforts to enhance the regulatory framework and legal system in relation to cybersecurity and data security. Meanwhile, it also shows that China has the ambitions to actively take part in the international standard set-up and play a leading role.”

Early in July, the MIIT drafted three-year action plan to develop the country's cyber security industry, which is expected to be worth 250 billion yuan ($38.6 billion) by 2023.

In November, China issued draft cyber data security rules which require companies to undergo a cyber security review if they hold large amounts of data related to issues of national security, economic development or public interest before carrying out mergers, restructuring or splits that affect or may affect national security.

In August, China passed a personal data protection law which came into effect on 1 November.