from Russia Today: China has passed a new law aimed at promotion of state security and sovereignty on Wednesday. One of the key provisions of the law is expanding state control over the internet.
The National People’s Congress (NPC) adopted the document almost unanimously: 154 of 155 NPC standing committee voted “for” and one abstained. That is a comprehensive national law which covers various sectors, including the internet space.
The internet has been declared one of the key priorities of Chinese national policy. China wants to make it “secure and controllable,” which raises fears among foreign IT companies, The Guardian reports.
"Internet space within the territories of the People's Republic of China is subject to the country's sovereignty," said Zheng Shuna, a senior official at the NPC, pointing out that the internet is a key part of national infrastructure.
She also emphasized that the new law proposes a legal basis for the management of activities on Chinese territory and resisting actions that pose a threat to Chinese cyber-security. No specific definitions for online crimes and punishments are provided, though.
