Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

Chinese government attaches great importance to and legally protects data privacy and security. China has never demanded, nor will it require, enterprises or individuals to collect or store data in an illegal manner, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized on Thursday.

Guo made the remarks in response to some ministries in South Korea blocking access to DeepSeek, following the banning of the Chinese AI firm in several other countries, including Italy, Australia, India, the US, and Japan, as well as by some companies.

The spokesperson added that China has always opposed the practice of overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing economic and technological issues and will firmly safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese enterprises.

Global Times