From Asia Times:
During last week’s hearings by the United States-China Congressional Committee (USCC), the convergence between China’s new state secrets law, the Google controversy and the Rio Tinto case came into clear light.
China’s 2010 amendments to its state secrets law appear to have been an attempt to bring the country’s framework of laws into the 21st century, addressing concerns Beijing has about the role of the Internet in facilitating the spread of information that could potentially lead to social and political unrest.
It remains to be seen whether these amendments will simply provide much-needed clarification on the boundaries of what China considers “state secrets”, thereby simplifying how individuals and corporations navigate the murky waters of China’s many state-owned enterprises (SOE).
Many policymakers fear these new amendments will provide new mechanisms for Beijing to increase its heavy handed control of voices of dissent and may additionally further muddy the water between where the private and public sectors come together in China.
