The Chinese government will soon launch a series of technical security standards required by the state of technology products and services. Experts from the National Bureau of Internet Information Services (NIIO), the Department of State of China, analyzed the products and services used in communications, finance, energy, national security and other purposes.
The system is intended to protect "national security of the Internet," office spokeswoman Jiang Jun told reporters. One day before the announcement, Beijing banned the use of Microsoft Windows 8 on government computers.
Although Jiang Jun said that the inspection system is for both products and domestic and foreign service, also stressed that " long, governments and businesses a few countries have gathered sensitive information on a large scale leveraging its monopoly over the market and technology ... They not only severely undermine the interests of their clients, but also threaten cybersecurity other countries.”
Jiang Jun also stressed that the U.S. government has a similar law that inspects foreign products and IT services. In 2012, the U.S. Congress Huawei and ZTE investigated and warned that the two Chinese IT companies were threats to security.
Many therefore see the system as a direct response to the recent tensions between Beijing and Washington on the subject of cyber espionage. In a recent incident, five Chinese military officers were accused of hacking into the computers of six U.S. companies and the theft of trade secrets.
On Weibo, nationalist bloggers described the system as a blow to the anti - China forces and suggested that Internet giants in the U.S. Including Cisco, IBM and Microsoft would be affected.
The policy could also have adverse effects on a wide range of applications used by citizens, including tools for censorship circumvention. Last year, a circumvention tool called Open Door was removed from the Apple store in China. Now the Chinese authorities have a legal basis to pressure service providers to end similarly "illegal” applications.
Under the new system, examining technology products fall under the supervision of NIIO. Public statement from the agency said that " vetting is to prevent a supplier to take advantage of your product to control illegally alter or turn off the computer systems of its customers , as well as collecting, storing, processing or use information of their customers. "
Fang Bingxing , the father of the so-called Great Firewall of China, told local media that the inspection system a list of " black " and " white list" is created. Only products whitelist can enter China. Beijing will start with the inspection of the goods and services of strategic IT.
Local media explained that before information products enter the China market, including hardware, such as smart phones, computers and other mobile devices, and programs such as operating systems, programs and applications will be required to undergo technical inspection to ensure that the products do not pose a threat to national security. In addition to security threats, the products that would result in a monopoly market could also be subject to a ban, as it would bring adverse effects social and economic security.
Politics is a poignant example of the tensions between security, social control and economic growth that China faces. How is concrete in the coming months may be an indication of the deepest interest in information and finance among government leaders.
