In Brief

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China has set a goal to construct “digital China” by, inter alia, “accelerating the construction of a digital economy, a digital society, and a digital government”. The role of China’s “digital government” in these digital initiatives was not clear until a significant document on the topic was issued in June 2022. The document further provides a glimpse of the direction that the new Chinese leadership will likely continue when they are at the helm after the conclusion of the forthcoming Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress.Read this article

SinoForum&Foresight

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China and Israel have reportedly accelerated negotiations on their long-anticipated free trade agreement (“FTA”), raising hopes that the FTA may come to fruition by the end of 2022 to mark the 30th anniversary of the two countries’ relations. What lessons can be learned from the decade-long activity of Chinese multinational corporations specializing in infrastructure projects in the Israeli market?Read this article

In Brief

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Since late 2021, China has been pushing the development of the Metaverse and expressing its keen interest in joining the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, which was signed by Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore in June 2020. These efforts and their latest developments, together with President XI Jinping’s current visit to Central Asia, help show China’s strategic preparations for the future.Read this article

In Brief

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The coming into effect of the Measures for the Security Assessment of Outbound Data Transfers (the “Measures”) on September 1 is expected to trigger a series of security assessments conducted by the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”). Any “data processor” planning to transfer to another country “important data” collected and generated inside China is required to pass the CAC’s security assessment. If the CAC decides against the data processor, can the CAC’s decision be challenged in court? Read this article

In Brief

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Despite various economic challenges facing China, the country’s cross-border e-commerce stands out to show rapid growth. The seeds of this growth were, however, not planted erratically as a response to economic woes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how this type of commerce has gained governmental support and what latest measures have been taken to resolve related disputes helps businesses seeking to sell globally seize potentially lucrative opportunities.Read this article

In Brief

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Understanding China’s preparation for the future helps us see more clearly where China stands today. One such preparation is the country’s quest for homegrown disruptive technologies. What disruptive technologies does China want to develop domestically? How has China conducted this quest? What are the results so far and related implications? Read this article

In Brief

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Recent rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court on issues concerning abortion and firearm regulation have drawn worldwide attention. Interestingly, on the other side of the globe, a decision by China’s national legislature that a local regulation was inconsistent with the country’s constitution (thereby triggering an amendment to the local regulation) has gone almost unnoticed. What was the decision about? How was it made? How can such an exemplary instance illustrating the constitutional review of Chinese legislation be better known and used to produce more positive impact? Read this article

In Brief

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China’s release of a Typical Case showcasing how courts in Shanghai recognized and enforced a foreign arbitral award by a special reading of the factual situation involved may help instill more confidence in foreign parties amid China’s efforts to revive its economy. How was this breakthrough ruling made? What are the implications of the ruling?Read this article

U.S.–China Relations, Climate Change, and Biodiversity Loss

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In his recent speech, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken clearly stated that China is “integral” to the United States’s ability to solve the climate crisis. He urged China to join the United States in “accelerating the pace” of their shared efforts. Ecosystems with healthy populations of native plants and animals help address climate challenges. Yet many ecosystems have been adversely affected by the loss of biodiversity. How does China tackle this loss?Read this article

Guiding Case 177

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In December 2021, the Supreme People’s Court of China released Guiding Case No. 177. The Guiding Case illustrates how China performs its obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to protect marine biodiversity.Read this article

In Brief

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Three decades ago, China’s decision to develop a “socialist market economy” helped bolster foreign investors’ confidence. Today, if China shows similar determination to bring about positive changes in crucial areas, foreign investors will have strong reasons for feeling optimistic about the Chinese market. One crucial area is the regulation of China’s stock market. China does have regulatory tools to combat irregularities in the stock market. Have these tools been used well? Read this article

In Brief

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Amid foreign businesses’ growing concerns about COVID restrictions, China’s five-year intellectual property plan may help instill confidence. If implemented well, the plan will help China establish a strong intellectual property protection mechanism that will facilitate the country’s post-COVID economic recovery. How can the plan be implemented well?Read this article

In Brief

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Justice delayed is justice denied. The prompt delivery of judgments is particularly important in cases involving infringement of intellectual property rights, where holders of these rights need to minimize their losses by stopping the infringement swiftly. China does offer a solution. How does it work? Read this article

In Brief

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The highest court in a province in China recently ordered a retrial of a dispute because lower-level courts handling the dispute failed to discuss in their reasoning a relevant Guiding Case cited by a party as similar to the dispute. This ruling is expected to bring about positive changes to the judicial practice of using Guiding Cases in that province. Why? Will this ruling be a game changer for the rest of the country?Read this article

SinoInsights

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How can the development of China’s Case Guidance System promote the country’s judicial protection of intellectual property rights, helping achieve the goals set forth in the Plan for the Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in People’s Courts (2021-2025)?Read this article

In Brief

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In early 2022 (a special year that marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China–South Korea diplomatic relations), China released a Typical Case to highlight the country’s recognition and enforcement of a South Korean judgment. Why now? What messages does this send to courts inside and outside China?Read this article

Guiding Case 115

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In December 2019, the Supreme People’s Court of China released Guiding Case No. 115. Four months later, in April 2020, the second-instance judgment upon which this Guiding Case is based was selected by the Supreme People’s Court as one of the “Top 10 Intellectual Property Cases of Chinese Courts in 2019”. Why is this case so important? It is all related to the concepts of “act preservation” and “functional features” of inventions.Read this article

In Brief

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The worsening food crisis around the world has made the China–Laos Railway, which opened in December 2021, even more important to China. Has China taken steps to help Laos so that the latter can manage related legal risks better? From China’s perspective, helping Laos maximize its benefits from this USD 6 billion railway project while minimizing the risks involved will strengthen the two countries’ relations and bode well for China’s presence in that region.Read this article

In Brief

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The Ukraine crisis is a major blow to a world that has already been hit hard by the pandemic and economic setbacks. Businesses struggling to stay afloat should ask: where are the much-needed opportunities amid the current global crises?Read this article

Guiding Case 109

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In February 2019, the Supreme People’s Court of China released Guiding Case No. 109 and five other Guiding Cases to illustrate how Chinese courts handled issues related to the country’s Belt and Road Initiative.  Guiding Case No. 109 specifically shows the Supreme People’s Court’s firm adherence to legal rules and principles that protect the value of the “payment on demand” system of independent guarantees.Read this article

Interview Patrick Dransfield

Patrick Dransfield, Principal of Clearway Communications and Co-Founder of the Managing Partners’ Club, explains in this interview why he has had success in forging strong relationships with private practitioners and in-house counsels at various corporations across Asia, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom.  In addition, he shares his thoughts about where the legal industries in emerging markets are heading.Read this article

In Brief

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Apart from China’s Guiding Cases, legal practitioners, business executives, and other stakeholders must not forget about Typical Cases, another category of representative cases that the Supreme People’s Court of China can release to guide Chinese courts’ adjudication. What are Typical Cases? Why are they significant?Read this article

In Brief

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2022 marks the 15th anniversary of the issuance of the Anti-Monopoly Law of the People’s Republic of China. In late November 2021, China’s solicitation of public comments on its proposed amendment to this law came to an end. Apart from the prospect of seeing a new version of this important national law, what judicial developments related to this law will likely occur in 2022?Read this article

In Brief

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Only a few days after the launch of SINOTALKS.COM, Dr. Mei Gechlik began publishing a biweekly newsletter titled SINOTALKS.COM In Brief. The goal for this newsletter is to demystify Chinese law and policy so that readers will be able to craft evidence-based strategies for their China-related issues.Read this article

Guiding Case 160

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Guiding Case No. 160 addresses a fundamental issue: when rights to a new plant variety are granted, what falls within the scope of protection?  According to China’s legislation, propagation materials of the plant for which variety rights have been granted are clearly protected.  Yet, what are “propagation materials”?  Unfortunately, no definition can be found in China’s legislation.  Guiding Case No. 160 fills the legal gap by setting the criteria for such determination.Read this article

Guiding Case 100

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Before the release of Guiding Case No. 100, the Supreme People’s Court of China released Guiding Case No. 92 to establish this principle: in a case involving infringement of rights to a new plant variety, when the related DNA fingerprinting test result cannot provide a clear answer, the allegedly infringing party, i.e., the defendant, has the burden to prove that the allegedly infringing plant is different from the plant for which variety rights have been granted.  Guiding Case No. 100 shows what the defendant can do to meet this burden of proof.Read this article