Germany and China have concluded an agreement for data transfer, which is primarily for car industry is of importance. “With our declaration of intent, we are creating a continuous exchange and a common understanding of the data policy legal framework between the two countries,” said Digital Minister Volker Wissing (54, FDP). He and the director of the Chinese Cyberspace Administration Zhuang Rongwen (63) signed the declaration.
This is a next step after the cooperation agreement with China on autonomous driving signed in April and complements the cooperation in the area of data exchange. “In order to be able to use the potential of digitalization, it is important that data can flow as unhindered as possible,” said Wissing. The protection of privacy and security interests must be taken fully into account.
The German automotive industry (VDA) praised the agreement. Cross-border data transfer is crucial for German manufacturers and suppliers to remain global leaders in future technologies, explained VDA Managing Director Marcus Bollig.
So far, the leadership in Beijing had insisted, for example in the area of autonomous driving, that foreign companies must also store the data they collected in China in China. In 2022, citing national security, it generally tightened the rules for the transfer of data abroad, which was met with significant criticism and anger from foreign companies and the European Chamber of Commerce in China. Data transfer is particularly important for global German companies.