China perceives “unprecedented” challenges in protecting national secrets

President Xi Jinping is stepping up efforts to more securely handle confidential information, but a government body noted that China is facing “unprecedented risks and challenges” in protecting national secrets.

According to a Xinhua News Agency story published on Wednesday, the National Administration of State Secrets Protection made the disclosure in response to inquiries from the media over a newly amended national secrets law.

The organization said, “Confidentiality work is facing a more complex and severe situation.” “We have to uphold the party’s unified leadership on secret-keeping with steadfastness and consistency.”

The declaration, in which Xi announces a “holistic view of national security” that now covers 20 domains, including biology, nuclear power, and data, highlights China’s growing sensitivity to state secrets. As a result, government employees and foreign businesses may face more dangers as they struggle to comply with the expanding meaning of national security and state secrets.

Beijing has already attempted to strengthen the legal environment around the protection of sensitive information by implementing comprehensive data security legislation in 2021 and extending an anti-espionage law last year. China’s highest legislative body revised legislation on state secrets on Tuesday, the first modification to the statute since 2010.

The revisions laid out the long-standing principle that the Communist Party is in charge of secret-keeping work, accelerated efforts to educate citizens and civil servants on the matter, and encouraged more innovation in secret-keeping technology—all without broadening the definition of what constitutes “state secrets.”

An addendum to the Act said that government agencies must safeguard work secrets, or information that isn’t regarded as a state secret but whose revelation would have “certain negative effects,” under a different set of rules. According to official declarations posted online, the Communist Party issued regulations on work secrets about 2019, and governments at all levels, from local to national, have started putting the guidelines into effect.

China is increasing training at government agencies, colleges, and state-owned firms on how to protect state secrets, according to a Bloomberg News story from last year. Because using the well-known social media platform raises the possibility of secrets being leaked, the authorities have also cautioned state personnel against using WeChat for work-related purposes.

May will see the implementation of the revised state secrets legislation.