China takes new move in drafting cybersecurity rules

The new move is allowing companies to join a key government committee in an effort to ease foreign concerns over the controls. The committee under the government’s powerful cyberspace administration is in charge of defining cybersecurity standards.

Over the past few months, the committee’s seven working groups have each met at least once. Representatives from Microsoft and Cisco confirmed the companies are members.

Taking a more consultative approach marks a shift for Beijing after nearly two years of battling the US and other Western governments, as well as foreign business groups, over its effort to tighten controls on information technology.

The committee that the foreign companies are a part of is at the front of the struggle over whether China will adopt standards that deviate from international norms.

Originally comprised of 48 members, TC260 was expanded in January to 81 members, mainly consisting of Chinese officials and representatives of domestic technology companies.

The Cyberspace Administration of China, the internet regulator that TC260 reports to, signaled a change in tone in its latest cyber-directives, issued Monday. As with previous ones, the new guidelines urge stricter controls on cybersecurity, but they place new emphasis on setting common standards across China’s national and local governments and in influencing global rule making.