China urges state firms to drop Big Four auditors on data security concerns

China urges state firms to drop Big Four auditors on data security concerns

FILE PHOTO: A cleaning worker is seen through a glass window at a shopping mall in the Central Business District (CBD), amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China June 2, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

Chinese authorities have urged state-owned firms to stop using the four biggest global accounting firms as Beijing seeks to rein in the influence of Western audit firms, signaling continued concerns about data security, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.