China has launched a new campaign to tighten controls over the sharing of trade secrets, as Beijing pushes to protect its high-tech industries and reduce reliance on foreign technology.
The month-long campaign, announced on Monday by a national watchdog, will focus on key sectors including artificial intelligence, biomedicine and integrated circuits, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Authorities said they would step up investigations into employees accused of taking trade secrets to new jobs, as well as companies involved in “malicious poaching”.
The campaign coincides with new regulations on trade secret protection coming into effect. According to state broadcaster CCTV, the rules are the first in China to explicitly include data and algorithms as confidential information.
They also introduce stricter measures for remote and cross-border work, including closer scrutiny of electronic devices and workspaces.
