Wednesday, April 28, 2010

US, Europe Press China to Plunge Tech Security Rule

Global technology suppliers face an alarming Chinese deadline to expose the inner workings of computer encryption and other security products in a move the United States and Europe say is protectionist.

Suppliers must fulfill with the rules that take effect Saturday or risk being shut out of the billions of dollars in purchases that the Chinese government makes of smart cards, secure routers, anti-spam software and other security products. Encryption codes and other trade secrets would have to be disclosed to a government panel, and the foreign companies’ worry they might be leaked to Chinese rivals.

It is the latest in a string of disputes over complaints Beijing is using regulations to support its companies at the expense of foreign rivals. It comes less than a month after China defused a separate clash with the United States and Europe by scaling back a plan to favor Chinese technology in government procurement.

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