Introduction: A Sharpened Tool in China’sRegulatory Arsenal On October 9, 2025, the Chinese government announced the addition of 14 newentities to its Unreliable Entity List (UEL), a move that significantly heightenscompliance risks for foreign companies with ties to China. This expansion of theUEL, which took effect immediately, serves as a stark reminder of Beijing’sreadiness to…
Introduction: A New Front in the US-China Trade Dispute On October 14, 2025, China’s Ministry of Transport implemented a new “SpecialPort Service Fee” targeting vessels with links to the United States, opening a newfront in the ongoing trade dispute between the two economic superpowers. Themove, a direct retaliation against the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR)…
Introduction: A Strategic Refinement of DigitalJustice On October 10, 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) announced a significantrestructuring of the jurisdiction of its specialized Internet Courts, a move thatsignals a strategic refinement of the country’s digital justice system. The newprovisions, which are set to take effect on November 1, 2025, reallocate certaintypes of cases to…
Introduction: A New Chapter in Strategic Resource Governance On October 9, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced asignificant expansion of its export control regime for rare earth elements,introducing an extraterritorial “50% Rule” that is set to reshape global technologyand defense supply chains. These new measures, which took partial effectimmediately, represent a new chapter in…
On October 17, 2025, Chinese regulators unveiled new rules governing thecertification of cross-border personal information transfers, signaling a significanttightening of the nation’s data export regime. This development, coupled with therecent publication of two landmark enforcement cases in September, underscores anew era of stringent data governance in China. For international law firms and theirclients, these changes…
Introduction: Removing Barriers to Global TalentAcquisition On October 1, 2025, China implemented a groundbreaking expansion of its K Visaprogram, eliminating the prior job offer requirement for recent graduates from top-tieruniversities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Thispolicy innovation, announced by the National Immigration Administration incoordination with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of…
Introduction: Comprehensive Export ControlModernization On October 1, 2025, China implemented a comprehensive overhaul of its exportcontrol regime, introducing enhanced licensing procedures, real-name tax reportingrequirements, and strengthened compliance obligations that fundamentally transformthe landscape for cross-border trade in controlled items. These reforms, developedthrough coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), GeneralAdministration of Customs, and State Administration…
Introduction: From Fragmented Pilots to National Framework On September 24, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), CyberspaceAdministration of China (CAC), and seven other government agencies jointly issuedmeasures to promote service exports, including a groundbreaking proposal toestablish a unified national negative list for data exports from Free Trade Zones (FTZs). This development represents a potential watershed…
Introduction: A Direct Response to US MaritimeCharges On October 14, 2025, China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced theimplementation of special port fees targeting vessels with significant US ownership orcontrol, marking a decisive escalation in maritime trade tensions between the world’stwo largest economies. The measure, framed explicitly as retaliation for similarcharges imposed by the United States…
Introduction: A Jurisdictional Shift Reflecting Evolving Digital Priorities On October 1, 2025, the Supreme People’s Court of China implemented a significantrevision to the jurisdictional scope of the nation’s three specialized Internet Courts,fundamentally reshaping the landscape of digital dispute resolution in China. Throughthe issuance of new Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Trial of Cases by…