China has appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.

Arts. 8 and 9 of the Online Publishing Service Management Rules mandate that the servers and storage equipment of online publishers must be situated within the borders of China.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) acts as the telecommunications authority in the country, and therefore, there is no independence from the government in its decision-making process.

Art. 40 of the Personal Information Protection Law provides that critical information infrastructure operators and personal information processors handling personal information must store personal information collected and produced within the borders of China. Where such information needs to be provided abroad, they shall pass a security assessment organised by the National Cyberspace Department. Also, according to Art. 38, the processors of personal information must apply one of the conditions to provide information outside of the PRC: passing the security assessment organised by the National Cyberspace Department; obtaining personal information protection certification from the relevant specialised institution according to the provisions issued by the national cyberspace department; concluding a contract stipulating both parties' rights and obligations with the overseas recipient following the standard contract formulated by the national cyberspace department; and meeting other conditions set forth by laws and administrative regulations and by the national cyberspace department.
Where a processor of personal information provides personal information outside the People's Republic of China, it is required to inform the individual of the name or names of the overseas recipient, the contact information, the purpose of processing, the manner of processing, the type of personal information, as well as the manner and procedure for the individual to exercise his or her rights under this Law with the overseas recipient, and obtain the individual's consent (Art. 39). Personal information processors shall not provide personal information stored in the People's Republic of China to foreign judicial or law enforcement agencies without the approval of the competent authorities of the People's Republic of China (Art. 41).

The "Notice of the People's Bank of China on Protecting Personal Financial Information by Banking Financial Institutions" states that the processing of personal information collected by commercial banks must be stored, handled and analysed within the territory of China, and such personal information is not allowed to be transferred overseas (paragraph 6).
The Personal Financial Information Protection Technical Specification (PFI Specification) regulates “any personal information collected, processed and stored by Financial Institutions during the provision of financial products and services" (PFI). The PFI specification requires that PFI collected or generated in mainland China is stored, processed and analysed within the territory. Further, under the PFI Specification, where there is a business need for cross-border transfer of personal financial information (PFI) and the financial institution obtains explicit consent to the transfer from the personal financial information subjects (i.e. the persons under the PFI Specification providing the data), conducts a security assessment and then supervises the offshore recipient to ensure responsible processing, storage and deletion of PFI (Section 7.1.3).

Art. 5.4.5. of the Guidelines for Personal Information Protection Within Public and Commercial Services Information Systems prohibit the transfer of personal data abroad without the express consent of the data subject, government permission or explicit regulatory approval "absent express consent of the subject of the personal information, or explicit legal or regulatory permission, or absent the consent of the competent authorities". If these conditions are not fulfilled, "the administrator of personal information shall not transfer the personal information to any overseas receiver of personal information, including any individuals located overseas or any organisations and institutions registered overseas." Although the Guidelines are a voluntary technical document, they might serve as a regulatory basis for judicial authorities and lawmakers.

Population health information needs to be stored and processed within China. In addition, storage is not allowed overseas (Art. 10).

China instituted a licensing system for online taxi companies, which requires that personal information and business data should be stored and used in mainland China and must not be transferred outside of China (Art. 27 of the Interim Measures for the Administration of Online Taxi Booking Business Operations and Services). Such information should be retained for two years, except when otherwise required by other laws and regulations. The Measurement also states that taxi companies' servers should be set up in Mainland China, with a network security management system and technical measures for security protection in compliance with regulations (Art. 5.2).

According to Art. 34 of Map Management Regulations, online maps are required to set up their server inside the country and acquire an official certificate.

China has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

China has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

According to Art. 25 of the Chinese government’s 2015 National Security Law, all information systems in China must be "secure and controllable". As a result of this policy, it is reported that every company operating in China – whether domestic or foreign – is required to provide the Chinese government with access to its source code, encryption keys, and backdoor access to their computer networks in China.

The Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China, which was implemented by the Several Provisions on Prohibition of Infringement of Trade Secrets Act, provides a framework for the effective protection of trade secrets. According to Art. 2 of both laws, the term "trade secrets" refers to technical information and business information that is not known to the public, can bring economic benefits to the right holder, is practical, and has been kept confidential by the right holder. Art. 3 of the Several Provisions on Prohibition of Infringement of Trade Secrets Act outlines prohibitions against trade secret infringements, including obtaining trade secrets through improper means such as theft or coercion and disclosing or using such secrets. It also covers violations by business partners and employees who breach confidentiality agreements, as well as third parties who knowingly use or disclose obtained trade secrets. Moreover, Art. 7 states that violations of Art. 3 will be addressed by the administration for industry and commerce according to Art. 25 of the "Anti-Unfair Competition Law," which may involve ordering the cessation of illegal activities and imposing fines ranging from 10,000 to 200,000 yuan (approx. USD 1,500 to USD 30,000).
It is reported that, despite existing regulations, serious deficiencies in the protection and enforcement of trade secrets in China have raised concerns among stakeholders. Numerous cases of trade secret theft benefiting Chinese companies, both domestically and internationally, have been documented. Particularly troubling are reports that agents affiliated with the Chinese government and military have infiltrated the computer systems of foreign companies, stealing terabytes of data, including proprietary information and intellectual property, to provide commercial advantages to Chinese enterprises.

Under the Negative list 2021, foreign investment in radio stations, television stations, radio and television transmission networks, radio and television satellites, satellite uplink stations, satellite receiving stations, microwave stations, internet audio-visual program services, cyberculture operations (except for music) and internet information dissemination services (except for contents opened up in China's WTO commitments) is prohibited. It is also forbidden to engage in the business of video broadcasting by order of radio and TV and the installation services of ground receiving facilities for satellite TV broadcasting.

It is reported that there is an obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in China to deliver telecom services to end users. Moreover, passive infrastructure sharing is practised in both the mobile and fixed sectors based on commercial agreements.