Photo: China's ambassador to Chile Niu Qingbao

China's ambassador to Chile Niu Qingbao has said that Chinese corporate investment will not threaten Chile's data security, a response after Richard H. Glenn, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Chile, expressed concern that Chinese state-owned enterprises' participation in the bidding for civil registration services in Chile may compromise the security of Chile's data.

Niu said that Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are also enterprises. They operate in accordance with market dynamics, independently and are responsible for their own profits and losses. The government does not intervene in the specific operations of enterprises, Niu made the statement to local newspaper El Mercurio on Thursday, in form of letter to editor-in-chief.

Many Chinese SOEs are listed companies with open and transparent reporting requirements, and their operating standards are the same as those of European and American multinational companies, he added.

China attaches great importance to the protection of personal information security and opposes the use of information technology to access data and infringe on personal information. China on Friday passes its Personal Information Protection Law, which is set to be implemented from November 1, 2021.

It highlights that any organization or individual shall legally collect, use, process, or transmit personal information belonging to third-party individuals, and shall not illegally buy or sell, provide or disclose the personal information of others.

The Chinese government has never required Chinese companies operating overseas to violate local laws to provide the Chinese government with information and data about the country where they are located. Since Mr. Chargé d'affaires said that Chinese law requires companies to do so, please explain to the Chilean people clearly, which Chinese law and which article has such a requirement? Niu asked.

Protecting data security is the common responsibility of the international community. In September last year, China issued an initiative, calling on all countries to require companies to strictly abide by the laws of the country in which they operate, and not to obtain data from companies or individuals in other countries without the permission of the laws of other countries. 

China has made a commitment to maintaining global data security and has received active support from many countries. If the US really cares about the data security of other countries, it should support the initiative to build mutual trust and cooperation among countries on data security issues, Niu said.