CHINA must speed up plans to replace insecure Internet technology with domestic alternatives, President Xi Jinping said Sunday, the latest indication that China is advancing policies that have raised concerns among foreign businesses.

    Foreign business chambers have urged Chinese officials to revise a series of new and pending regulations mandating “secure and controllable” network technologies in industries from banking to insurance, calling them “vague and discriminatory.”

    Those groups say the measures could give preferential treatment to Chinese companies supplying hardware and software, or that foreign firms could be required to source incompatible government-approved technology or products with security weaknesses.

    But Chinese officials say businesses have nothing to fear from the policies and that the country must tackle the real and growing security risks it faces, from hacking to terrorism.

    “(We) must accelerate the advancement of domestic production, indigenous and controllable substitution plans, and the building of secure and controllable information technology systems,” Xi told officials at a meeting on Internet development. “Although China’s Internet technology and network security guarantees have made big achievements, there is still a huge gap compared with advanced levels around the world,” Xi said.

    China also has put forward Internet Plus and Made in China 2025 strategies, which aim to make Chinese firms world technology leaders and call for progressive increases in domestic components in priority industries such as robotics and information technology.(SD-Agencies)