Table of ContentsAbstract INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 The PRC's Legislation on Cross-Border Transfer 1.1 Overview 1.2 The PRC's Legislation on Cross-Border Transfer 1.2.1 Laws and Regulations 1.2.2 Non-binding Guidelines 1.2.3 Increasingly Tight Restrictions on Cross-Border Data Transfers 1.3 Interim Remarks Chapter 2 The Cross-border Data Transfer in the Context of International Trade - the PRC Perspective 2.1 Cross-border Data Transfer Legislation in the Context of International Trade 302.1.1 General Remarks 2.1.2 The PRC and the WTO 2.1.3 The Tradability of Data 2.1.4 Data as a Service 2.1.5 Cross-border Data Transfers: Service or Good? 2.1.6 Cross-border Data Transfers and the GATS 2.1.6.1 The Four Modes of the GATS 2.1.6.2 The Technological Advances and the GATS 2.1.6.3 Most Favoured Nation (MFN), Market Access and National Treatment (NT) in the GATS 2.1.6.4 The GATS Annex on Telecommunications 2.1.6.5 The PRC's GATS Commitments - Computer and Related Services 2.1.6.6 Cross-border Data Flows and Trade Debate 2.1.6.7 Exceptions to the GATS Framework 2.2 The Information Silk Road 2.3 A Comprehensive Outlook on Development 2.4 Interim Remarks Chapter 3 The Regulation of Cross-border Data Flows in the Context of Free Trade Agreements 3.1 Overview 3.2 FTAs and Cross-border Data Transfers 3.2.1 General Remarks 3.2.2 E-commerce Chapters 3.2.2.1 The Development of E-commerce Chapters in FTAs 3.2.2.2 United States-Involved FTAs after 2012 3.2.2.3 EU-Involved FTAs 3.2.2.4 Other FTAs 3.2.3 Commitments Made on Service Sectors 3.2.4 Economic and Technical Cooperation 3.2.5 Other Chapters 3.3 The Defects of Existing FTAs Chapter 4 Free Trade Agreements and Cross-border Data Transfers-The PRC Perspective 4.1 FTAs and RTAs in Which the PRC Is Involved 4.1.1 General Remarks 4.1.2 E-commerce Chapters 4.1.2.1 The CEPA Hong Kong, the CEPA Macau and the Hong Kong-Macao CEPA 4.1.2.2 The Other Thirteen FTAs 4.1.2.3 Electronic Authentication and Electronic Signatures 4.1.2.4 Cooperation on E-commerce 4.1.3 Dispute Settlement 4.1.4 Intellectual Property (IP) Chapters 4.2 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership 4.3 Interim Remarks Chapter 5 Current Issues Related to Cross-border Data Transfers at the International Level 5.1 Fragmentation of the Legal System 5.2 The Necessity of Cross-border Data Transfers 5.3 Challenges Facing Legislatures 5.3.1 Cross-border Data Transfers and Emerging Concerns 5.3.2 Evolution of Language in the Digital Age 5.4 A Proposed Approach: Plurilateral Trade Agreements 5.5 Interim Remarks Chapter 6 Conclusion BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Resource Secondary Resource Books Articles Reports, Webpages, Newspapers and Others