China’s data management: Putting the party state in charge

China has methodically increased control over data flows since 2014, building out its regulatory and institutional framework. With the country accounting for as much as 23 percent of transnational data flows, and AI increasingly transforming traditional business models, Beijing’s stringent data localization requirements have sweeping implications for global trade, investment, and innovation. 

Increasingly, privately owned Chinese and foreign firms alike must navigate intrusive party state control over data transfers, both within China and across borders. Rebecca Arcesati and Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau explain the emerging mechanics of China’s data management a new report. You can download the analysis as a PDF here: