Opinion: New Rules on Cross-Border Data Transfer Offer Fresh Opportunities

The flow of data across borders brings with it new opportunities. Recently, the Cyberspace Administration of China unveiled the Regulations on Promoting and Regulating the Cross-Border Data Flows, which are concise yet comprehensive in scope.

They include: clarifying the standards for declaring important data for outbound security assessments; specifying conditions under which data can be exempted from such assessments; introducing a negative list system in free trade pilot zones; adjusting conditions requiring declarations for outbound data security assessments; establishing standard contracts for personal information leaving the country and those engaging in data export activities that have passed personal information protection certification; extending the validity period of the security assessments results for outbound data and adding provisions that allow data processors to apply for an extension of the validity period.