China expands its trade secret protections to cover not only traditional technical information but also data and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, according to reports. The changes are framed as part of efforts to reduce the risk of technology leakage amid rising strategic competition with the United States.
One part of the new approach limits how people can access sensitive information based on their role or rank, a measure intended to restrict exposure of confidential materials. Another set of provisions includes restrictions related to training that could enable the transfer or export of sensitive technical capabilities, including training that may facilitate the replication of protected know-how.
The reported updates indicate that China is broadening what it treats as trade secrets to include modern digital assets such as datasets and algorithmic methods, rather than focusing only on physical designs or source code. The overall thrust is to strengthen enforcement and compliance around confidentiality as data-driven technologies become more central to industrial competition.
