Last Friday, China's cyber office finalized a new set of rules that would facilitate cross-border data flows and loosen the regulatory requirements for some personal data transactions, especially for smaller companies.

Today, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) criticized the U.S. for creating "obstacles" for Chinese autos to enter the U.S. market, amidst new announcements from the Biden administration that target China and Chinese automobiles.

Yesterday, the Biden administration issued an executive order on "Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern," with China as a main country of concern.

Last month, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued a guideline on standard contracts for personal data flows in the Greater Bay area. Compared to the more general rules on cross-border data flows, the rules for the Greater Bay area alleviate the burden for business in some ways.

Chinese corporate data provider Qichacha has become the first of its kind to pass the security review by the government cyber watchdog in order to launch an overseas platform. This is the most recent sign of Beijing relaxing controls over data exports.

Speaking at the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), which kicked off yesterday, Chinese leaders made commitments on opening up, international agreements, and data flows. While there has been some movement in these areas, more needs to be done to overcome the downward trend of its trade and investment.

Last week, Beijing issued a draft provision for cross-border data flows, potentially lowering the compliance cost for companies and waiving regulatory requirements for some data exports. The draft, however, is awaiting finalization, which could bring more changes.