Cross-border Data Flows: Regulations in international digital trade and China’s solution

Abstract

International digital trade is accelerating the speed of economic globalization and is becoming a new driver of economic growth. Data, as a key production factor, is ubiquitous in digital trade. This paper combines research on the topics of economy and trade in the digital era and further relates to cross-border data flows, to analyze regulations and governance of data flows in different economies, especially comparing the core elements involving cross-border data flows in regional agreements such as the CPTPP, the DEPA and the RCEP, to explore the rationality and necessity of various types of regulations. Besides, from investigating the specific development of the international community to discuss the real governance dilemma about strict regulation and fragmentation of data flows, to explore the solution to the problem of balancing cross-border data flows and risk prevention in international trade from legal regulation.