Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:
US warns new Chinese counterespionage law puts companies
at risk
Fri, June 30, 2023 at 9:51 a.m. PDT
By Michael Martina
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. on Friday warned about a new Chinese counterespionage law, saying American and other foreign companies in the country could face penalties from Chinese authorities for regular business activities.
Chinese lawmakers this year passed a wide-ranging update to Beijing's anti-espionage legislation that goes into effect on July 1, banning the transfer of any information related to national security and broadening the definition of spying.
China this year has also cracked down on U.S. consultancy and due diligence firms, a move business lobbies have said unnerved foreign investors in the world's second-largest economy.
The U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) said in a bulletin that China viewed outbound flow of data as a national security risk, and that the new and existing laws could compel companies' locally employed Chinese nationals to assist in Chinese intelligence efforts.
"These laws provide the PRC (People's Republic of China) government with expanded legal grounds for accessing and controlling data held by U.S. firms in China," the NCSC said.
"U.S. companies and individuals in China could also face penalties for traditional business activities that Beijing deems acts of espionage or for actions that Beijing believes assist foreign sanctions against China," it said.
China's embassy in Washington said Beijing had a right to safeguard national security through domestic legislation.
"China will continue to promote high-level opening-up and provide a more law-based and international business environment for companies from all countries, including the United States," embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has emphasized national security since taking office in 2012. Suspicion in China of the U.S. and its allies has grown as the U.S.-China rivalry has intensified, yet Beijing has insisted it is opening up to overseas investment.
U.S. officials have told Reuters that since the enactment of the Chinese law in April they have received a flood of questions from businesses and other groups about the risks of traveling to China.
The U.S. State Department also updated its travel advisory for China on Friday, upgrading the "risk of wrongful detentions" among its warnings for Americans to reconsider travel to the country.
U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns has said Beijing's targeting of U.S. firms was politically motivated and that Washington would push back.
(Reporting by Michael Martina in Washington Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Matthew Lewis)
Translation
華盛頓（路透社） - 美國周五對中國新的反間諜法發出警告，稱在華的美國和其他外國公司可能因正常商業活動而面臨中國當局的處罰。
中國立法者今年通過了對北京反間諜立法的廣泛更新，該立法將於 7 月 1 日生效，禁止傳輸任何與國家安全有關的信息，並擴大了間諜的定義。
中國今年還對美國諮詢和盡職調查公司進行了打擊，商業說客稱此舉讓世界第二大經濟體的外國投資者感到不安。
美國國家反情報與安全中心（NCSC）在一份公告中表示，中國將數據出境流動視為國家安全風險，新的和現有的法律可能會迫使外國公司在當地僱用的中國公民協助中國的情報搜羅。
NCSC 表示： “這些法律為中華人民共和國政府獲取和控制美國公司在華持有的數據提供了更廣泛的法律依據。”
報告稱： “在中國的美國公司和個人傳統商業活動, 也可能因北京認為是從事間諜活動, 或北京認為有助於外國對中國製裁的行為而面臨處罰。”
報告稱，該法律的模糊性意味著 “任何文件、數據、材料或物品” 都可能被視為與中國國家安全相關，這也讓記者、學者和研究人員面臨風險。
中國駐華盛頓大使館表示，北京有權通過國內立法維護國家安全。
使館發言人Liu Pengyu表示，中國將繼續推動高水平對外開放，為包括美國在內的各國企業提供更加法治化、國際化的營商環境。
中國領導人習近平自2012年上任以來一直強調國家安全。隨著中美競爭加劇，中國對美國及其盟友的懷疑與日俱增，但北京方面堅稱正在向海外投資開放。
美國官員告訴路透社，自四月份中國法律頒布以來，他們收到了來自企業和其他團體的大量關於前往中國的風險詢問。
美國國務院週五還更新了對中國的旅行建議，在警告美國人重新考慮前往中國旅行的警告中, 提升了 “錯誤拘留的風險” 。
美國駐華大使伯恩斯表示，北京針對美國公司的攻擊是出於政治動機，華盛頓將予以反擊。
So, the U.S. warns about a new
Chinese counterespionage law, saying American and other foreign companies in
the country could face penalties from Chinese authorities for regular business
activities. It seems that national security is the top priority in China and
trading benefits will only come next. There are no indications that tensions
between China and the US will go away soon.
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