China Passes new National Cryptography Law

Last Saturday, China’s state-run news agency, Xinhua, reported that the government had passed a new policy to regulate cryptography in the country. According to reports, the new cryptography law was passed to regulate the utilization and management of the said security technique in the country.

Chinese lawmakers reportedly passed the law during the closing meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress‘ bimonthly session that began last Monday. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2020, and will cover both public and private cryptography businesses.

“The enactment of the law was necessary for regulating the utilization and management of cryptography, facilitating the development of the cryptography business and ensuring the security of cyberspace and information, according to the NPC Constitution and Law Committee,” Xinhua reported.

Chinese officials didn’t offer detailed information about the new law. However, they raised issues regarding permission, which could favor the allies of the ruling party.

China’s Cryptography Law

Under China‘s new policy, cryptography is classified into three: core, common, and commercial cryptography.

The law will require all of the state’s highly confidential information to be stored and transmitted through “core and common” encryptions. Furthermore, all organizations and companies that use cryptography must establish management systems to ensure the security of the encryption.

Information that is not considered as a state secret will fall under commercial cryptography. This will be accessible to citizens, legal persons, and organizations in accordance with the law to ensure the security of cyberspace and information.

The law also emphasized that:

“The country encourages the research, academic exchanges, conversion of academic achievements and application of the technologies of commercial cryptography, but the scientific research, production, sales, service and import and export of it must not harm the state security and public interests or other people’s rights and interests.”

People who will be caught stealing encrypted information, hacking into others’ cryptography security systems, or using cryptography to perform illegal activities will be punished accordingly under China’s Cybersecurity Law and other existing state regulations.

Read More: The Great Firewall, China’s New Cybersecurity Law