Meanings
The expression Chinese Wall comes from the Great Wall of China and became a metaphor of barriers, known to go back to the United States stock market crash of 1929. The U.S. government saw the need to maintain separation (or an information barrier) between investment bankers and brokerage firms, to limit the conflict of interest between the two. The first use of Chinese Wall in the general context of keeping confidentiality is unclear.
How to pronounce "Chinese Wall":
AU
An information barrier within an organization, designed to ensure internal confidentiality; frequently used to prevent conflicts of interest.
Example Sentences
1
The Chinese Wall refers to the strict separation between the company's financial advisory and sales departments.
2
The software development team has implemented a Chinese Wall between the testing and development environments.
3
The lawyer ensured there was a Chinese Wall between her current and former clients to protect their confidentiality.
4
The judge ordered a Chinese Wall to prevent the prosecution and defense from sharing confidential information.
5
In journalism, ethical guidelines often dictate the establishment of a Chinese Wall between the news and opinion departments.
