中國暫緩要求外國科技公司開放源代碼

HONG KONG — China has suspended a policy that would have effectively pushed foreign technology companies out of the country’s banking sector, according to a note sent by Chinese regulators to banks.

香港——中國銀行業監管機構給銀行下發的通知文件顯示，中國暫停了一項事實上會將外國科技企業趕出中國銀行業的政策。

Dated Monday, the letter called for banks to “suspend implementation” of the rules, which have been at the center of a brewing trade conflict between the United States and China. The rules, put into effect at the end of last year, called for companies that sell computer equipment to Chinese banks to turn over intellectual property and submit source code, in addition to other demands.

週一下發的文件要求銀行“暫停實施”相關規定，這些規定在中美不斷髮酵的貿易衝突中成了一個核心問題。去年年底開始實施的規定除了提出其他要求，還規定那些向中國的銀行出售計算機設備的公司，必須移交知識產權並提交源代碼。

At stake is billions of dollars of business for major American companies that make the advanced computing hardware and software that crunches numbers for banks across China. Trade groups representing companies including Microsoft, IBM and Apple have complained that such policies are protectionist.

這項規定涉及研發先進計算機硬件和軟件的大型美國企業，價值數十億美元的業務，中國各地的銀行都利用這些軟硬件來處理數據。代表微軟(Microsoft)、IBM及蘋果(Apple)等公司的行業組織抱怨稱，此類政策屬於保護主義政策。

Yet the development is only a small reprieve for American tech companies. The suspension is temporary as authorities revise the rules. It’s unclear how regulators will change the rules, but industry officials say a new version — even if it avoids more contentious issues like forcing the disclosure of source code — will still be problematic to multinational tech companies.

但事態的這一步進展，對於美國科技企業來說只是暫時的緩解。相關機構正在修改規定，延後舉措只是暫時的。目前尚不清楚監管機構會對規定做出何種修訂，但業界人士表示，對於國際科技企業來說，修訂後的新版本——即便避免了迫使公司提交源代碼等爭議較大的問題——仍舊會存在問題。

The recent trade debate is part of a wider clash between China and the United States over online security and technology policy. The United States has accused Chinese military personnel of hacking American companies to gain commercial advantages for Chinese companies. And the Chinese maintain that disclosures from the former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden of American online espionage across the globe are reason enough for the country to wean itself off foreign technology, which may have been tampered with by United States intelligence agencies.

最近的貿易爭端是網絡安全及技術政策在中美兩國間造成的廣泛衝突的一部分。美國指責中國軍方人員攻擊美國企業，以便爲中國企業贏得商業優勢。中國則堅稱，前美國國家安全局(National Security Agency)承包商僱員愛德華·J·斯諾登(Edward J. Snowden)揭露了美國在全球開展的網絡間諜活動，這讓中國有充分的理由放棄使用外國技術，美國情報機構可能對這些技術做過手腳。

In the letter, which was reviewed by The New York Times, the China Banking Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that since the rules were passed, financial institutions and other parties had “amendment suggestions.” The regulations will be reissued after they are revised, according to the letter.

《紐約時報》查閱的通知顯示，中國銀行業監督管理委員會及工業和信息化部表示，自規定獲得通過以來，金融機構和其他各方提出了“修改建議”。通知稱，規定在經過修訂後，將會重新發布。

After a meeting between Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew and top Chinese officials last month, United States officials said that the rules would be suspended. But this week, a letter signed by American, European and Japanese trade groups said the policies were continuing, and they called for Beijing to put in writing that it would stop carrying them out. With the note issued this week, the Chinese government appears to have done that.

美國財政部長雅各布·J·盧(Jacob J. Lew)和中國高層官員上個月舉行了會談，美國官員在會後表示，相關規定會暫停實施。但本週，美國、歐洲及日本行業團體簽署的一封信件稱，中國仍在繼續推行相關政策，它們要求北京方面通過書面文件確保中國將停止實施相關政策。從本週下發的通知來看，中國政府似乎已經做到了這一點。

Such backpedaling is rare for Chinese policy makers, yet there is a precedent. In 2009, China said all computers imported to the country must come with filtering software called Green Dam-Youth Escort preinstalled. After heavy international pressure, China suspended the rule indefinitely.

雖然中國政策制定者撤回決策是非常罕見的舉動，但之前有過先例。2009年，中國表示，所有進口到中國的電腦都必須預裝名爲綠壩-花季護航的過濾軟件。在國際社會施以重壓後，中國無限期暫停了這項規定。

Still, the banking regulations are less likely to share the fate of Green Dam. Although the Chinese appeared to have backed down on the regulations, China will most likely use “overt and covert” means to favor domestic tech companies over foreign ones, an American industry official said.

但上述規定的前景應該不會與綠壩一樣。美國的一名業界官員表示，雖然中國似乎在相關規定上做出了讓步，但中國可能會通過“公開或隱蔽”的方式偏袒國內科技企業，而非外國科技企業。

“On the overt side would be to use the cyber-review testing regime, which is in formation now and where the focus will be on blocking American companies on security grounds,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“明面上會採用目前正在制定的網絡安全審覈機制，重點是以安全爲由限制美國公司，”這名要求匿名的官員說。

The government will almost certainly use covert means by quietly instructing Chinese banks not to procure from foreign companies, the official said.

該官員稱，政府幾乎肯定會使用隱蔽的手段，悄悄指示中國的銀行不要從外國公司採購。

“Most people here believe the Chinese policy will be to boost domestic I.C.T. manufacturers and kick out foreign companies, particularly American ones,” said the official, referring to information and communications technology.

“這裏的大部分人都認爲，中國的政策將是支持國內的信息與通訊技術廠商，把外國公司，特別是美國公司踢出去，”這名官員說。

The government may have decided to scuttle the regulations because they were poorly drafted and contained language about industrial policy that flew in the face of World Trade Organization rules, the official said.

該官員表示，可能是因爲起草倉促，並且含有與世界貿易組織(World Trade Organization)的規則相違背的行業政策，政府才決定叫停相關規定。

The Chinese technology rules, which Beijing says are intended to strengthen online security in the government and critical industries, are the first of a series of policies expected to be unveiled in the coming year. A proposed antiterror law that seems to have the backing of China’s security apparatus mandates that foreign companies give up encryption keys or use Chinese encryption in all devices sold in the country.

未來一年，中國預計會出臺一系列政策，前述科技政策就是最早實施的一項。北京方面表示，該政策旨在加強政府及關鍵行業的網絡安全。一份反恐法草案要求外國公司交出加密祕鑰，或者在所有在華銷售的設備中，使用中國的加密工具。該草案似乎得到了中國安全系統的支持。

Foreign trade groups representing multinationals like Microsoft, IBM and Apple say the security concerns are a pretext to pass protectionist policies shutting foreign companies out of one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing information technology markets.

代表微軟、IBM和蘋果等跨國企業的外國行業團體稱，安全擔憂是推行保護主義政策的藉口。中國是全世界最大、增長最快的信息技術市場之一，相關政策將使外國公司被這個市場拒之門外。

In a statement on Thursday, Josh Kallmer, senior vice president for global policy at the Information Technology Industry Council, a trade group that represents 60 tech companies including Microsoft and IBM, said that the rules suspension was welcome and that he hoped “this announcement means that Chinese financial institutions will have full access to the best technology — whether made domestically or globally.” The group wants “the Chinese government to embrace a globally leading role in undertaking open and transparent consultative processes among stakeholders in developing cybersecurity measures,” he said.

在週四發表的一則聲明中，代表微軟和IBM等60家科技企業的行業團體信息技術產業協會(Information Technology Industry Council)負責全球政策的高級副會長喬希·卡爾默(Josh Kallmer)對暫停相關規定表示歡迎，並表示希望“這則通知意味着中國的金融機構將能完整採用最好的技術——不管是國內還是國外研發的”。他說，該組織希望“中國政府在制定網絡安全政策時，能承擔起全球領導者的角色，以公開透明的程序諮詢利益相關方”。

As the United States and China spar over technology concerns, the United States has also said that telecommunications and computing equipment made by the Chinese company Huawei could have so-called back doors — allowing monitoring by third parties — making it virtually impossible for Huawei to sell higher-end networking equipment in the United States. And more recently, President Obama warned that countries found to be responsible for online attacks against American companies might be subject to sanctions, a comment that analysts said was aimed in part at China.

隨着美國和中國圍繞技術問題爭論不休，美國也表示，中國公司華爲生產的通訊和計算設備可能存在所謂的後門，允許第三方進行監視。這導致華爲幾乎不可能在美國銷售較爲高端的網絡設備。而且就在最近，奧巴馬總統警告稱，被認定應對美國企業遭受的網絡攻擊負責的國家，可能會受到制裁。分析人士稱，奧巴馬的此番評論在一定程度上針對的是中國。

In addition to raising concerns after Mr. Snowden’s revelations, high-ranking Chinese security analysts have called vociferously, in a movement trumpeted in China’s state-run media, for China to get rid of high-end computing equipment made by companies like IBM and Oracle and used in critical industries like energy, banking and telecommunications.

除了在斯諾登泄密事件後表示擔憂外，級別頗高的中國安全分析人士還極力呼籲，在能源、銀行和通訊等關鍵行業，擯棄IBM和甲骨文(Oracle)等公司生產的高端計算設備。這場運動得到了官方媒體的極力讚揚。

“I think the direction is clear,” said Adam Segal, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “There will still be some type of regulation that in the Chinese mind addresses their security concerns and gives greater transparency into U.S. technology companies. I don’t think that’s going to change.”

“我覺得方向很明確，”對外關係委員會(Council on Foreign Relations)的高級研究員亞當·謝加爾(Adam Segal)說。“依然會有某種在中方看來，既能解決安全顧慮，又能更清晰地窺視美國科技企業的監管規定。我覺得這一點不會變。”