General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6343 / JDOC6343 |
| Course name: | China Data Protection |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Credit point value: | 9 credits / 6 credits |
| Cap on student numbers: | 60 |
1.2 Course description
Data has become one of the world’s most valuable strategic resources, transforming commerce, governance, and everyday life while raising complex legal and regulatory challenges. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to China’s rapidly evolving data protection regime, examining the legal principles, regulatory institutions, and policy objectives that shape the governance of personal information and data in China.
The course explores the development and implementation of China’s principal data laws, including the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), the Data Security Law (DSL), and the Cybersecurity Law (CSL), together with their implementing regulations and enforcement practices. Core topics include the lawful processing of personal information, data subject rights, cross-border data transfers, compliance obligations, enforcement mechanisms, data governance, and the regulation of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. Throughout the course, China’s legal framework will be examined from a comparative perspective, with particular emphasis on the European Union’s data protection regime, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), enabling students to critically assess the similarities, differences, and broader policy choices reflected in the world’s leading data governance
models.
In addition to acquiring substantive knowledge of China’s data protection law, students will develop the analytical and practical skills needed to interpret legislation, assess regulatory developments, and evaluate contemporary legal and policy issues. The course also provides systematic training in conducting rigorous legal research on data protection, equipping students with the tools to engage critically with legislation, judicial decisions, regulatory guidance, and academic scholarship. These research skills will benefit students who wish to pursue advanced academic research as well as those seeking to undertake high-quality legal research and analysis in legal practice, policymaking, and related professional settings.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Liang LI | ll549@cantab.ac.uk | TBA | By email |
1.4 Course outline (for elective course)
| Please click the link here for the course outline (HKU Portal login required). |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Demonstrate a sound understanding of the fundamental concepts, principles, and development of data protection law in China, including its legal, policy, and institutional foundations.
CLO 2 Describe and critically analyse the principal legal and regulatory frameworks governing personal information and data in China, including the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), the Data Security Law (DSL), the Cybersecurity Law (CSL), and their implementing rules.
CLO 3 Evaluate China’s data protection regime from a comparative perspective, with particular reference to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and assess the similarities, differences, and policy rationales underlying different regulatory approaches.
CLO 4 Apply the principles of China’s data protection law to analyse legal and regulatory issues relating to personal information processing, cross-border data transfers, compliance obligations, enforcement, and emerging technologies.
CLO 5 Conduct rigorous legal research on data protection law by locating, interpreting, and critically evaluating legislation, judicial decisions, regulatory guidance, and academic literature, and communicate research findings for both academic inquiry and professional legal practice.
2.2 LLM and JD Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link:
LLM – https://course.law.hku.hk/llm-plo/
JD – https://course.law.hku.hk/jd-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Class attendance and participation | 30% | 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Presentation | 30% | 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Take-home essay | 40% | 1 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
- Class attendance and participation (30%): This will comprise of a combination of class attendance and discussion participation.
- Presentation (30%): Each student needs to choose one topic from the topic list and make a presentation related to the topic. Depending on the size of the class, students may be assigned to groups. The course professor will make the final grouping decision. Every student needs to present.
- Take-home essay (40%): Based on the chosen topic and presentation, each student needs to submit a take-home essay within 10 natural days of the end of the course. This is an absolute deadline and no further extension will be approved. The take-home essay must be completed individually. The maximum length for the take-home essay is 3,000 words, excluding footnotes and bibliography.
The take-home essay will be graded based on quality of legal analyses, written expression and demonstrated familiarity with course materials, lectures, and subject-matter. If handed in late, your exam paper will be penalised at the rate of 3 points per day and will not be accepted later than 7 calendar days after the deadline.
The Law Faculty’s rules prohibiting cheating, plagiarism and taking unfair advantage apply strictly to take-home essay.
See also Course Outline above.
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3 hours intensive course from January to April 2027 |
| Private study time: | 10 hours / week for 11 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
Please refer to the Course Outline on Moodle.
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Will be posted on Moodle with the progress of the course |
| Core reading list: | Will be provided with the progress of the course |
| Recommended reading list: | Will be provided with the progress of the course |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/