BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China will further strengthen its foreign-related legal framework over the next five years to improve its "legal toolkit" for relevant affairs, Vice Minister of Justice Wu Yanjun said Wednesday.
The move comes as the country seeks to better support its opening up and manage risks arising from the increasing overseas activities of Chinese citizens and businesses, Wu told a news conference.
Efforts will also be made to guide legal responses to foreign-related civil and commercial disputes and better protect the personal and property rights of Chinese citizens and businesses, Wu said.
China has introduced several sets of regulations in response to practical needs in foreign-related areas this year, including rules on countering foreign long-arm jurisdiction, regulations on industrial and supply-chain security, and rules governing outbound investment.
The rules on countering foreign states' unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction measures, which were issued in April this year, stipulate that the Chinese government has the authority to take countermeasures in response to such actions. The regulations also state that no organization or individual shall enforce or assist in enforcing such unlawful jurisdiction measures.
Under the new rules, Chinese authorities carried out an investigation after the European Commission announced an investigation into Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com's proposed takeover of German retailer Ceconomy in May.
In August, the Ministry of Justice announced that the EU's cross-border investigation constituted unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction, and that no organization or individual may comply with or assist in implementing relevant measures.
In May, citing the same set of rules on countering foreign unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction, the ministry said the EU's probe into Chinese security check company Nuctech constituted unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction.
As some legal experts pointed out, China's efforts in pursuing high-standard opening up require a stable international environment, yet some foreign countries' unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction measures have brought about serious uncertainties.
Analysts believed that the new regulations also carry direct implications for Chinese companies seeking to safeguard their overseas-related rights and will significantly boost companies' confidence in responding to external bullying.
At Wednesday's media conference, Wu said the ministry has also worked to provide more efficient and higher-quality legal services to Chinese companies and citizens operating overseas.
According to Wu, the ministry will further coordinate legislative work on international judicial assistance in civil and commercial matters, overseas labor cooperation and overseas contracted projects. Measures will also be taken to develop international commercial arbitration centers and support more Chinese law firms and arbitration institutions in expanding their operations overseas.
Moreover, China will play a more constructive role within the framework of international platforms, including the United Nations, in the area of the rule of law and actively participate in international cooperation to combat cross-border crimes such as telecom and online fraud and money laundering, Wu said.
At the same media conference, Jiang Shan, a ministry official in charge of legislative affairs, said the ministry would step up legislation in key areas affecting people's livelihoods and strengthen safeguards for basic work and living conditions.
It will conduct studies on laws and regulations covering oversight of social insurance funds, security of grain reserves, protection of the rights and interests of older people, elderly care services, and food safety, Jiang said. Enditem
京公网安备 11010802027341号