China’s Responses and Strategies in Participating in International Digital Trade Rules Negotiations

Against the backdrop of profound reshaping of the current international landscape and the unprecedentedly rapid iteration of digital technologies, the global digital economy landscape and international trade rule system are entering a new era full of changes. Digital trade rules have emerged as a prominent focus in this field. Firstly, through a comprehensive review of sample data such as the WTO e-commerce proposals under the current multilateral framework, we can gain a profound insight into the negotiation practices of major economies regarding digital trade rules. In this context, China has demonstrated strong defensive interests in the “emerging” issues of digital trade, aiming to safeguard national data security and promote the healthy development of the digital economy. Therefore, when participating in the formulation of global digital trade rules, China needs to accurately strike a balance between offense and defense, contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions, and promote the construction of a fairer, more reasonable, and inclusive international digital trade governance system.