On 14 September, The Daily Telegraph, along with a couple of UK media, carried a report entitled Chinese tech firm compiles database on tens of thousands of British figures. The spokesperson of Chinese Embassy has written a letter to the editor of The Daily Telegraph to elaborate China’s position and refute the groundless comments and accusations in the above report. The full text is as follows:

The Daily Telegraph report entitled Chinese tech firm compiles database on tens of thousands of British figures (14 September) contains groundless assumptions based on bias against China, which is toxic and misleading to the public. It is a serious compromise of your professionalism and credibility as a mainstream media to publish such distorted contents.

China is an active advocate of global digital governance. Our position on this issue is clear. Protecting data security is essential for the sound growth of digital economy. Countries have the right to protect data security according to law, and are also duty-bound to provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for all businesses. Protectionism in the digital domain runs counter to the laws of economic development and the trend of globalization. Those resorting to protectionist practices will undermine the right of global consumers to equal access to digital services and eventually hold back their own development.

Protection of digital security should be based on facts and the law. Politicization of security issues, double standards and slandering others violate the basic norms governing international relations, and seriously disrupt and hamper global digital cooperation and development.

China is also a staunch guardian of cyber data security. China has never and will never ask companies or individuals to collect data, information or intelligence in others countries by illegal means. Fabricating “data risks” in the name of national security is tantamount to giving a dog a bad name to hang him. Such practice will only hamper normal cooperation between countries and backfire in the end.

Based on such a position, China recently proposed a Global Initiative on Data Security, which welcomes the participation of all parties including the UK.

China has always had friendly cooperation with countries of the world, including the UK, under the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. China has never interfered in the UK’s internal affairs, nor carried out the so-called “infiltration” and “manipulation” aimed at the UK. Unfortunately, certain British political forces have clung to the “Cold-War” mentality and ideological bias, and have used every means including the media to discredit China, fabricate rumours and distort normal exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK.

These forces, who smack of resurrecting McCarthyism, are doing great harm to the friendly relations and cooperation between China and the UK. They will surely meet the opposition of the peoples of both countries.

We urge The Daily Telegraph to stop the presumptuous speculation and arbitrary defamation in its misleading reports with a fair and objective approach to China, address the issue of cyber data security in a rational manner, help the public here and in other western countries see a real China and protect the mutual trust and co-operation between China and the UK.