In a significant development for global trade and digital governance, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has expressed firm opposition to the European Union's (EU) draft revision of its Cybersecurity Act. Speaking at a recent press conference, the trade organization characterized the proposed changes as containing "obviously unreasonable content" that could destabilize international business relations.
At the heart of the controversy is the introduction of "non-technical risk" factors. According to Wang Yifei, spokesperson for the CCPIT, the draft revision seeks to directly link cybersecurity risks to companies based on their country of origin or national background. This approach, the CCPIT argues, is designed to exclude specific enterprises from essential EU supply chains based on nationality rather than technical performance or security audits.
The China Chamber of International Commerce has already formally submitted comments to European authorities on behalf of the Chinese business community. Wang emphasized that excluding suppliers on generalized security grounds not only infringes upon the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises but also weakens the openness, fairness, and predictability that the EU's business environment is known for.
Highlighting the interconnectedness of the two economies, the CCPIT noted that Chinese companies remain pivotal partners for Europe, particularly in driving digital transformation, green transitions, and industrial upgrading. The Chinese business community maintains its willingness to collaborate with the EU to enhance cybersecurity governance and foster a non-discriminatory market environment that ensures the smooth operation of global industrial chains.
The CCPIT has called upon the EU to engage in a transparent legislative process by listening to the concerns of enterprises and industry associations. The organization urged the EU to delete or revise rules that are country-specific and discriminatory, warning that such measures could negatively impact China-EU business cooperation and the EU's own industrial development.
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China's trade organization says EU's cybersecurity act revision unfair
cgtn.com
