Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi signed a licensing deal this week with U.S.-based WhiteCryption to protect Xiaomi's mobile application and data services.

This agreement extends Xiaomi's relationship with Intertrust Technologies Corporation, which owns WhiteCryption. Financial terms of the deal were not announced.

WhiteCryption's technology offers integrated software code protection, integrity check and white-box cryptography solutions that turn modern software applications on various platforms into self-diagnostic and self-protecting software products.

WhiteCryption's press statement though fails to address how or whether WhiteCryption will be used in China-based services. Chinese encryption law stipulates that code be made available to authorities for perusal. So the Xiaomi deal most likely affects ex-China services, and not those within the control of mainland Chinese authorities.

And if this does only assist Xiaomi with its services outside of China, what protections will Chinese users have for their app services?