US' accusation about anti-terror law
- By Shen Dingli
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E-mail China Daily, December 30, 2015
Earlier this year, US President Barack Obama expressed concern about a draft provision in China's anti-terrorism law that might force foreign information technology groups to provide the Chinese government with "back door" access to their products and other sensitive information.
In fact, the provision requires telecommunication companies and Internet service providers, both at home and abroad, to offer technical support, such as technical interfaces and decryption, for the departments of public security and national security to prevent and investigate terrorist activities.
This is totally reasonable and fair, because it is possible that extremists will use telecom platforms and the Internet to instigate, plan and organize crimes. Many countries, including the US, have made clear in their legislation the obligations of network operators and service providers to assist counterterrorism as needed.
The US Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act is a case in point. The worldwide surveillance by the US National Security Agency and US intelligence agencies' collusion with Internet firms, which was revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, testifies to such obligations.
Likewise, China is fully entitled to legitimate anti-terrorism cooperation with all relevant enterprises, in order to safeguard social stability, which includes their lawful business activities. Therefore, the US should stop making wild accusations about China's determination to eliminate terrorism - a common threat faced by all - for the sake of the concerted anti-terrorism cooperation.
The author is a professor at and associate dean of the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai.
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