China to increase protections against hacking for key industries

China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) unveiled a plan on Monday that aims to improve data security in China’s industrial sector and effectively contain “major risks” by the end of 2026. The plan comes at a time when China and the United States both frequently accuse each other of cyberattacks and industrial espionage. Reuters reported last year that Chinese government entities and state-owned enterprises were accelerating efforts to replace Western-made hardware and software with domestic alternatives, partly due to fears of hacking from foreign adversaries.