National Intelligence Law
1 min
China’s National Intelligence Law of 2017 is central to concerns about Chinese technology companies and data sovereignty. Article 7 requires all organizations and citizens to ‘support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work’ while Article 14 allows intelligence agencies to demand assistance. This creates inherent security concerns for any technology, software, or service originating from China: companies may be compelled to provide access or build backdoors without disclosure. The law applies extraterritorially to Chinese entities and citizens abroad. Combined with the Cybersecurity Law, Data Security Law, and PIPL, it forms a comprehensive framework where data protection coexists with broad state access requirements. For organizations assessing supply chain risk, the National Intelligence Law is a key factor when evaluating Chinese-origin technology.