China has signed but not ratified the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

China has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

China has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

Imported and exported encryption products must be certified by the Office of State Commercial Cryptography Administration (OSCCA). The use of encryption products without OSCCA certification is prohibited, regardless of the public, commercial or individual nature of use. However, it is reported that, in practice, only Chinese or Chinese-owned companies are eligible for OSCCA certification to sell, produce and carry out R&D for encryption technology in China, as well as to gain product licensing. Foreign or foreign-owned companies, even if based in China, are excluded. In 2007, OSCCA started to consider products such as Trusted Platform Module (used in computers) or smartcards (used in banking, insurance, health, transport, etc.) as core encryption products. As a result, such products could no longer be produced or sold by foreign or foreign-invested companies.
Under the Cryptography Law, the import and export of commercial encryption products, technologies and services remain subject to government approval. Commercial encryption products that may affect national security and public interest and have encryption-based protective functions can only be imported under a permit. The Ministry of Commerce, together with the OSCCA and the General Administration of Customs, will issue catalogues of commercial encryption products that are subject to the above import permit and export controls. The requirements above will not apply to commercial encryption used in "products for consumption by the general population". However, the cryptography law does not define the term, leaving it unclear how this will be implemented in practice.
The Cryptography Law has removed the requirement for mandatory certification and has instead established a voluntary certification scheme, which encourages manufacturers to apply to qualified agencies for the testing and certification of their commercial encryption products. The products in the Product Catalogue will no longer be subject to mandatory approval requirements before they are launched. The product catalogue includes smart password keys, smart IC cards, ATM application systems, security authentication, and financial data encryption machines, among others.

It is reported that a locally developed encryption standard (WAPI) is required to be used in all wireless equipment despite the existing international standard IEEE 802.11i.

Without a sales certificate provided by China’s National Commission on Encryption Code Regulations (NCECR), it is illegal to sell products using Commercial Encryption Codes (CEC). It is also prohibited to use CEC products not certified by the NCECR. The public promotion and/or exhibition of CEC products must be reported to and approved by the NCECR in advance.
To obtain the certificate, the company must fulfil three requirements:
- They must be staffed with personnel who are knowledgeable in CEC product information and capable of providing post‑sales services;
- They must be able to provide full sales services and be equipped with safety regulations;
- They must also have the rights of an independent juridical unit.

China instituted a licensing system for online taxi companies, which requires that personal information and business data be stored and used in mainland China and not transferred outside of China. Such information should be retained for two years, except when otherwise required by other laws and regulations. The Measurement also requires that taxi companies' servers be set up in Mainland China, with a network security management system and technical measures for security protection in compliance with regulations.

According to the Map Management Regulations, online maps are required to set up their server inside of the country, and an official certificate must be required.

China's General Administration of Press and Publications agency selects which publications and audiovisual products may enter China, while the State Administration on Radio, Film, and Culture and the Ministry of Culture review various media. Additionally, China's Ministry of Culture selects which entities may import finished audiovisual products. This effective monopoly on the import and distribution of multimedia products means that China tightly restricts the import of cultural media into the country, including reading materials (e.g. newspapers, periodicals, electronic publications), audiovisual home entertainment products (e.g. video, compact discs, digital video discs), sound recordings (e.g. recorded audio tapes), and films for theatrical release. These measures have been the focus of a WTO investigation launched by the United States in 2007 (DS363). The panel ruled in favour of the complainant, deeming that China had not adequately substantiated its defence, which concerned the need to protect public morals. In total, the panel found 29 WTO violations throughout various Chinese regulations, catalogues, rules, opinions, and legal instruments. Rather than fully implementing the panel's recommendations, China and the US reached a memorandum of understanding via a negotiated settlement. Many of the associated laws remain in place, and their influence is amplified by provincial and local-level regulations that cite them.

In December 2018, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the General Administration of Customs issued the adjusted catalogue of used mechanical and electrical products prohibited from import, effective from January 2019. The adjusted catalogue includes video recorders, sound recorders or playback equipment using semiconductor media, disc-type broadcast video recorders, and colour LCD monitors that can be directly connected and designed for automatic data processing equipment.

Under the Cryptography Law, the import and export of commercial encryption products, technologies, and services remain subject to government approval. Commercial encryption products that may affect national security and public interest and have encryption-based protective functions can only be imported under a permit. The Ministry of Commerce, the Office of State Commercial Cryptography Administration (OSCCA), and the General Administration of Customs publish catalogues of commercial encryption products subject to the above import permit and export controls. The requirements above do not apply to commercial encryption used in products for consumption by the general population. However, the cryptography law does not define the term, leaving it unclear how this is implemented in practice.
In addition, the Cryptography Law has removed the requirement for mandatory certification and has instead established a voluntary certification scheme, which encourages manufacturers to apply to qualified agencies for the testing and certification of their commercial encryption products. The products in the Product Catalogue are no longer subject to mandatory approval requirements before launching their product. The voluntary certification provides a marking that assures customers that their commercial encryption products conform with Chinese encryption standards. The product catalogue includes smart password keys, smart IC cards, ATM application systems, security authentication, and financial data encryption machines, among others.

Since September 2014, the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has tightened the regulation for foreign TV and online streaming content. According to the Notice concerning Further Implementing Regulations on the Management of Online Foreign Film and Television Dramas, online platforms have to limit foreign content to 30% of the streaming content made available online.

In December 2023, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), through Announcement No. 57 of 2023, published a revised Catalog of Technologies that are Prohibited or Restricted for Export, which was last updated in August 2020. Following a draft revision published for public comment in December 2022, the updated Catalog reduces the number of controlled items (requiring prior government authorizationn for export) from 164 to 134, with 34 items deleted, 4 added and 37 modified, including dual-use technologies under export control management.
The list of items prohibited for export includes technologies such as encryption and decryption software and hardware. On the other hand, among the products included in the list of restricted goods are cryptographic security technologies, countermeasure and information defense technologies, 3D and laser printing technologies, cryptographic chip design and implementation, information processing technology and basic software security enhancement technology.

It is reported that China imposes a set of export restrictions, including export duties and export quotas, on selected raw materials: graphite, cobalt, copper, lead, chromium, magnesia, talcum, tantalum, tin, antimony, and indium. Some of these raw materials (e.g. graphite, copper, tin, and indium) are used to produce smartphones and batteries. Export restrictions limit companies' access to these products outside China. In addition, a draft regulation on rare earths is pending approval to provide for total quota control over rare-earth mining, smelting, and separation, as well as the approval system for investment projects of rare earths.

It is reported that the Chinese Government is working to improve its standards system by incorporating both government guidance and market input, moving away from a solely government-led approach. Despite this progress, foreign participation in standards setting remains limited, and China often pursues unique national standards for strategic reasons. The revised standardisation Law, effective since January 2018, includes measures recognising the value of international standards and the participation of foreign-invested enterprises. However, foreign stakeholders are concerned that these measures still prioritise Chinese standards over international ones and do not ensure equal participation for foreign companies. Reports indicate that foreign companies often face restrictions in participating in China's domestic standards-setting processes, and even when participation is allowed, it is usually under less favourable terms than for domestic competitors.