跨国数字存在的投资适格性及其保护

跨国数字存在是指经营者以互联网为依托将资本投入他国、取得数据及其衍生权益等资产的控制和管理权并在东道国以纯数字或数字和实体商业机构混合形态运营的新型商业存在。国际投资条约可作为规制跨国数字存在的基础法律框架。根据国际投资条约对“投资”的定义,数据及其衍生权益属于投资资产,以此为基础的跨国数字存在整体上可被视为适格投资,投资者与国家间争端解决机制具有可适用性。当前,投资协定出现引入数字规则的趋势,经济伙伴关系协定数字规则呈现出“亚太模式”与“欧盟模式”,且有大量包含数字规则和投资规则的新近协定将两者挂钩,明确了跨国数字存在的投资适格性。我国应统筹国内法与国际法,根据我国的利益诉求,积极参与塑造适用于跨国数字存在规制的国际投资规则和数字规则。

Transnational digital presence(TDP)refers to a new type of commercial presence in which an operator invests abroad based on internet,controls and manages data and its derivative rights,and operates in host state in a purely digital or hybrid form of digital and physical business establishment.International investment treaties can be the basic regulation legal framework of TDP.In accordance with the definition of investment by international investment treaties,data and its derivative rights fall into the categories of investment assets,based on which TDP could qualify as investment as a whole.The investor-state dispute settlement is applicable to digital investment disputes.At present,there is a trend towards the introduction of digital rules in international investment treaties.Economic Partnership Agreements’(EPAs)digital rules can be divided into“Asia-Pacific”or“EU”Mode.A large number of newly signed EPAs,which contain digital economy and investment chapters,connect those two chapters,and confirm TDP’s qualifications of investment.It is necessary to synergize domestic law and international law in accordance with China’s interests to shape international investment and digital economy rules which are applicable to TDP.