Law

From pharmaceuticals to data protection, 2021 was a big year for China’s intellectual property laws and initiatives. Peter Mumford looks back over 5 of the biggest IP stories of note for UK-China businesses 1. Will China be an IPR leader by 2035? The best place to start with this round-up of 2021 is the release of the Outline of Building An Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Powerhouse (2021-2035). Why? Because the Outline …

Multiple new laws and regulations that affect doing business in China came into force on 1 January 2022. Foreign investors and businesses engaging in cosmetics, food and beverage, import and export, and businesses that care for older adults should pay special attention 1. Negative Lists for Foreign Investment Access The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce released the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment …

China’s intellectual property environment and legislation has been significantly strengthened and standardised in recent years, with a number of key intellectual property rights cases being ruled in favour of international companies. Tim Van Gardingen looks back over some of the biggest IP cases and policies changes in 2021 In October 2020, Dow and Johnson Matthey won a major intellectual property case against Shanjun Clean Energy Technology over the two companies’ jointly …

China’s new Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) came into effect on November 1 and is now one of the strictest in the world governing what businesses can do with Chinese people’s personal information. So what do China’s new data privacy laws mean for your company in practice? And how can you make sure you’re compliant with the new regulations? In this article, first published in China Briefing, Thomas Zhang, Dezan Shira …

Hainan has become the first province to publish a Negative List for Cross-Border Trade in Services. While the list is far longer than the nationwide list for foreign investment, it is much more detailed and provides a useful template for further reform, writes Torsten Weller While China’s regulatory crackdown and the focus on ‘Common Prosperity’ dominated this summer’s headlines, a smaller but nonetheless significant development took place on the island …

UK companies operating in China are beholden to an increasing number of cybersecurity regulations influencing a raft of business activities, including the ease with which a Chinese subsidiary of a multinational company can share customer or R&D data with other parts of the business and how businesses store data Two new regulations making their way into law, the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) and the Data Security Law (DSL), are …

One year on from the National Security Law, how well is China balancing its desire to incorporate Hong Kong fully into the Greater Bay Area (GBA) with allowing the city to remain the financial capital of Asia? Writes Joe Cash The Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) provoked considerable conversation when introduced by China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) in June 2020. Spooked by its seemingly sudden introduction, foreign business leaders …

As changes to the laws requiring animal testing for imported cosmetics in China come into effect, RedFern Digital speaks to Mette Knudsen, CEO of certification and regulation compliance company Knudsen & CRC., about the specifics of the changes and the implications for foreign brands looking to tap into the cosmetics market in China – including the new requirement to appoint a liable safety and quality control representative How did the …

China’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law provides a stronger legal basis to the sanctions China has administered to date. However, as Joe Cash writes, this is not necessarily a cause for alarm, as companies should remember that ‘blocking statutes’ are pieces of legislation that all sophisticated actors in international trade have, but few use On 10 June, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress approved a sweeping law designed to counter …

From business licences to opening a bank account, as more and more services shift online, real-name verification has become an essential part of company operations in China. Here’s how real-name verification might affect you getting your e-chop or e-business license in China Chinese offices have been promoting the application and use of electronic chops (e-chops) and electronic business licences since April 2020. This change implies that hard copy company certificates, …