Cybersecurity and Data Protection in China

Your expert

Rogier Creemers

Rogier Creemers is an Assistant Professor in the law and governance of China at Leiden University. With a background in Chinese studies, international politics and law, he mainly focuses on the Chinese government’s increasing use of technology in domestic governance processes, as well as China’s role in global cyberspace.

All sessions by Rogier →

Session Summary

In China as elsewhere in the world, cybersecurity and data protection have become major topics of concern as daily life continues to digitize. Over the past few years, the Chinese government has issued a series of new laws, regulations and policies to counter the risks resulting from advancing technological adoption.

These are often both more interventionist and innovative than initiatives in other countries, and will likely have a significant impact on the future development of digital regulation around the globe. This lecture will review how the Chinese government looks at cybersecurity, the specific steps that they have taken and how they combine to create a new model for governing the digital realm.

Interaction

During the expert session, Rogier Creemers engages the audience through a Q&A session, live demonstrations of the Mentimeter app for interactive exercises, and discussions on China's economic shifts and their global impact. He explores topics such as data protection in China, regulatory challenges for foreign businesses, and emerging technologies like blockchain.

The Mentimeter app facilitates audience interaction, allowing participants to ask questions and contribute to the conversation.

Key Learnings

Grasping China's Data Security Landscape

Understanding China's unique data security regulations, including self-classification for organizations and the role of government involvement, is essential for businesses seeking to enter or expand in the Chinese market.

Navigating the Economic Shift in China

As China moves from a growth-at-all-costs model to one focusing on quality development and self-sufficiency, foreign companies must adapt by contributing to China's goals and demonstrating value beyond economic efficiency.

Staying Informed on Global Economic Trends

Keeping up with China's evolving economy, its focus on becoming autonomous, and its role in shaping the global digital landscape is crucial for businesses aiming to remain competitive and responsive to changing market dynamics.

Detailed session description

In this expert session, Rogier Creemers delves into the intricacies of cybersecurity and data protection in China, with a specific focus on the financial sector. He begins by underlining the significance of safeguarding personal information, emphasizing the European approach, which centers around protecting individuals' data, and contrasting it with the Chinese approach that encompasses both personal information protection and data security.

The discussion then transitions to the collection and potential risks associated with data from smart vehicles, particularly in China, and the concerns surrounding Tesla cars. Creemers also touches upon China's growing dependence on technology for economic growth and the increasing role of the Chinese government in interacting with its citizens digitally.

He acknowledges a question about Chinese smart vehicles in Europe, noting the EU's lack of significant concerns compared to China's proactive risk identification.

Creemers then delves deeper into China's cybersecurity landscape, explaining its multi-layered protection system that requires self-classification based on importance, with higher-tier organizations facing stricter compliance requirements. He highlights the challenges and opportunities presented by China's regulatory environment for businesses operating within or seeking to enter the Chinese market.

China's Data Security Law also comes under discussion, as it sets stringent regulations on data use and potential national security risks. This legislation creates hurdles for companies wanting to import data from China or process data related to Chinese nationals, leading to increased compliance burdens and business model restrictions.

Creemers shares insights into sector-specific impacts, using examples such as smart vehicles and emerging technologies like blockchain.

He also speaks about China's focus on becoming autonomous and the potential implications for Western economies. While economic efficiency was once the primary concern, security and resilience are now increasingly important.

This shift could result in less efficiency and a potential welfare hit as countries adapt to this new reality.

Before you book

Questions about Cybersecurity and Data Protection in China

Is this for beginners or for people who already know the subject?

No prior knowledge is assumed. It is built for a general working audience, and people who already know the subject get the research and the practical side rather than an introduction. What the hour itself covers: In China as elsewhere in the world, cybersecurity and data protection have become major topics of concern as daily life continues to digitize. Over the past few years, the Chinese government has issued a series of new laws, regulations and policies to counter the risks resulting from advancing technological adoption.

Is Rogier the right expert for this?

Rogier Creemers is one of the experts we auditioned ourselves, and we produce every session so we see how each one lands. Participants rate this session 4.1 out of 5, across 104 responses, and rate Rogier personally 4.1 out of 5.

Is this session interactive, or do people just watch?

It is interactive, and the block higher up on this page says exactly how for this session. Nobody has to speak up who does not want to: the chat and the polls carry most of it, and the questions can come in anonymously.

How long does it take, and what do we have to prepare?

It runs 45 min / 15 min: the talk, then live questions. All you do is pick a date. We brief Rogier, produce the session, host and moderate it, run the Q&A, and send you the report within an hour of the end.

Who can join, and where does it run?

A team, a department, an employee network or every single employee at once, with no cap and no per-seat price. It runs inside your own Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet, or on a branded page we build. No integration, no login, no company device or e-mail.

Can our global colleagues follow it?

The session is delivered in English, Dutch. You can add high accuracy live subtitles in 8, 16 or 24 languages, so everyone follows in their own. That is a paid option, priced by the number of languages you need.

Will our IT department have a problem with this?

No, and that is by design. There is nothing to install, nothing to integrate and no connection to your systems, so there is nothing for IT to validate: we join your own Teams, Zoom or Meet as a guest speaker, or we host a page and your people open a link. No software, no accounts, and no data of yours that we can reach. It is why hundreds of companies, among them some of the largest technology and financial firms in the world, were able to start within a day.

How does this work under GDPR?

We never receive or hold personal data about your employees. Because the session runs in your own environment, attendance and identity stay with you, and what we report back is aggregated: numbers, ratings and survey answers, not people. That is also why IT approval usually takes minutes rather than weeks.

What do we get afterwards?

You keep the recording and can share it internally. You also get attendance over time, participant ratings for the content and the speaker, the survey answers, and the topics your people asked for next.