China brought into force on Monday new trade secret regulations that explicitly extend legal protection to data and algorithms for the first time, as the country moves to strengthen safeguards for digital assets amid intensifying competition in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
The new rules, issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the country's top market regulator, marked one of China's most significant updates to its trade secret regime in years, reflecting the country's effort to adapt intellectual property protections to an economy increasingly driven by data, AI models and digital innovation.
Under the new regulations, technical information eligible for protection now explicitly includes data, algorithms, computer programs and code, alongside more traditional categories such as formulas, manufacturing processes, materials and technical methods.
The move comes as Chinese companies invest heavily in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital infrastructure, sectors where competitive advantages increasingly depend on proprietary algorithms and data resources rather than physical assets alone.
Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said:"For the first time, digital elements such as data, algorithms, computer programs and code have been formally incorporated into China's trade secret protection framework.
