China voices strong opposition to US cyber-espionage law
Government spokesman says limiting government purchases of Chinese IT "sends a very wrong signal"
China has come out in strong opposition to a new US law that restricts government purchases
of Chinese technology, saying the measure threatens to harm economic
relations between the two countries. The provision, passed Thursday as
part of a larger US spending bill, requires NASA, the Department of
Justice, and the Commerce Department to consult with federal law
enforcement before procuring Chinese IT systems. The law purportedly
aims to mitigate the risk of cyber-espionage, but as Reuters reports, Chinese authorities say it could have drastic consequences.
"severely damages mutual trust between the US and China."
"This will directly impact
partnerships of Chinese enterprises and American business as they
conduct regular trade," Shen Danyang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of
Commerce, told Chinese media Saturday. "This abuse of so-called
national security measures is unfair to Chinese enterprises, and extends
the discriminatory practice of presumption of guilt. This severely
damages mutual trust between the US and China." Shen went on to say the
bill "sends a very wrong signal."
The US provision comes at a
time of heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington. Last month, a
report from security firm Mandiant blamed China for a series of high-profile cyberattacks, while a 2012 Congressional report said Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE pose serious risks to national security.
Beijing has consistently denied accusations of hacking and cyber-espionage, describing American claims as "groundless." The country launched its own counter-accusations last month, when it claimed that the US is reponsible for the majority of cyberattacks on its military websites.
"an excuse to take discriminatory steps against Chinese companies."
The commerce ministry spokesperson went on to say that the US should eliminate its new law, though Stewart Baker, a lawyer who first drew attention
to its passage, says it's unlikely to be dropped from future
legislation. "Once a provision ends up in the appropriations bill... it
tends to stay there unless there's a good reason to take it out," Baker told Reuters earlier this week.
Shen's comments echo earlier
statements from Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei, who said
Thursday that the law "uses Internet security as an excuse to take
discriminatory steps against Chinese companies."
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