On June 14, 2016, the State Council issued Opinions on Establishing the Fair Competition Review System in the Development of Market System (hereinafter “Opinions”), which finally uncovers the veil of this system. Fair competition review system was first mentioned in Opinions on Promoting Further Systemic and Institutional Reforms to Accelerate Implementation of Innovation-Driven Development Strategies, issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on March 13, 2015, indicating “break the local protection, sort out and abolish the rules and practices impeding the formation of an unified national market, rectify the improper subsidies or the act to restrict or exclude competition by making use of the administrative power by local governments, and explore and implement the inspection system for a fair competition.”
State Council Issues Guideline to Boost General Aviation Industry
Posted in Foreign Direct InvestmentFollowing a surge of investment in China’s general aviation sector around 2013, the sector has experienced down-turns due to the overall slowing of the economy in 2015. On May 17, 2016, the General Office of the State Council announced a guideline to boost China’s general aviation (“GA”)[1] industry, named the Guiding Opinions to Promote the Development of the General Aviation Industry (Guo Ban Fa [2016] No. 38) (“Guideline”). The Guideline marks the first time the state council, the highest administrative organ, has made plans to boost the development of China’s GA industry[2].
The Revised Provisions on the Administration of Business Licensing for General Aviation
Posted in Foreign Direct InvestmentThe Ministry of Transportation issued the revised Provisions on the Administration of Business Licensing for General Aviation (Order of the Ministry of Transportation [2016] No. 31)(“Order No. 31”) on April 7, 2016. Order No. 31, which became effective on June 1, 2016 amended the Provisions on the Administration of Business Licensing for General Aviation issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in 2007 (Order of the Civil Aviation Administration of China [2007] No. 176) (“Order No. 176”).
New Regulations on the Investment in the Interbank Bond Market by Foreign Institutional Investors
Posted in Capital MarketsThe State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) issued a Notice on Foreign Exchange Administration Issues concerning Investment in the Interbank Bond Market by Foreign Institutional Investors (the “Notice”) on May 27, 2016, which further clarifies the supervision and administration of the investment in the interbank bond market by foreign institutional investors.
China Continues Intensifying Supervision on Product Quality
Posted in Global TradeThe State Administration of Industry and Commerce (“SAIC”) has promulgated the Measures for Supervision and Administration of the Product Quality in the Circulation Sector (流通领域商品质量监督管理办法) (“Measures”) on March 21, 2016, and these Measures will be effective on May 1, 2016. Continue Reading
PRC Anti-Unfair Competition Law (Draft Amendment 2016)
Posted in AntitrustOn February 25, 2016, China’s Legislative Affairs of the State Council (“SCLAO”) released the Draft Amendment of PRC Anti-Unfair Competition Law (“Draft Amendment”) and started to solicit public comments on the Draft Amendment until March 25, 2016. Click here for the unofficial translation of the Draft Amendment. The current PRC Anti-Unfair Competition Law came into effect early on December 1, 1993 and with more than twenty years’ enforcement, the regulatory authority of unfair competition-State Administration for Industry & Commerce (“SAIC”)-decided to amend the law to fit into the ever changing market environment. Continue Reading
Revisions to Measure for Certification of High and New Technology Enterprise
Posted in Foreign Direct InvestmentOn January 29, 2016, the State Administration of Taxation, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly issued the Revised Measure for Certification of High and New Technology Enterprise (Guo Ke Fa Huo [2016] No. 32) (the “Revised Measure”). The Revised Measure is an amendment to the Measure for Certification of High and New Technology Enterprise issued in 2008 (the “Old Measure”). The Revised Measure reduces certain qualification thresholds for High and New Technology Enterprise (“HNTE”) and expands the ambit of “high and new technology” in an effort to support the development of small and medium size high tech companies and encourage the innovation of new technologies in light of the changing environment. In addition, the Revised Measure introduces a number of new requirements to strengthen the supervision and administration of HNTE incentive. As a background information, the existing corporate income tax rate in China is 25%, company certified as HNTE is entitled to a reduced corporate income tax rate of 15%. Continue Reading
China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law Is Poised For An Update
Since 2010, China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and the State Council Legislative Affairs Office (SCLAO) have been revising China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law of 1993 (AUCL). This February the SCLAO released a draft revision of the AUCL for public comment. In general, the AUCL is broad, covering unfair trade practices that relate to intellectual property rights, anti-corruption and antitrust. Click here for the unofficial translation of the draft revision of the AUCL. Various organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce, Beijing and American Bar Association will be submitting comments on behalf of companies and law firms, as well as other interested parties. Continue Reading
Improper Use of Commercial Signs — Proposed Revisions to Article 5 of the PRC Anti-Unfair Competition Law
Posted in Intellectual PropertyOn February 25, 2016, The State Counsel Legislative Affairs Office (“SCLAO”) released a draft amendment (“Draft Amendment”) of the PRC Anti-Unfair Competition Law (“AUCL”) for comment by industry and other stakeholders. Article 5 of the 1993 AUCL provides the basis for claims against Business Operators for unfair trade practices involving the misuse and misappropriation of trade dress, enterprise names, and other commercial signs. The Draft Amendment of the AUCL contains some interesting and encouraging language, but could benefit from additional clarification and fine tuning. Industry has until March 25, 2016 to submit comments on the Draft Amendment to the AUCL, and numerous industry organizations have been collecting comments for submission to SCLAO over the last few weeks. Here are some highlights of proposed changes to Article 5, and some of the open issues that will hopefully be addressed before a final version of the revised AUCL sees the light of day. Continue Reading
Recent Developments in Recordal Procedures for Trademark Licenses in China
Posted in Intellectual PropertyOn August 26, 2015, the Trademark Office of The State Administration For Industry & Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (“TMO”) issued revised guidelines entitled Applications for Recordal of Licenses of Registered Trademarks, Recordal of Licensor/Licensee Name Change, Recordal of Early Termination of Trademark Licenses and Recordal of Withdrawal of Trademark Licenses (“2015 Guidelines”). The 2015 Guidelines are a slightly revised version of guidelines issued in 2014 that were intended to bring the license recordal regime in line with the 2014 Trademark Law and its Implementing Regulations. The TMO has not indicated whether the 1997 Measures for the Filing of Recordals of Trademark License Contracts (“1997 Recordal Measures”) will remain in effect after the establishment of new recordal procedures and the issuance of the 2015 Guidelines, but it is clear that a number of provisions of those earlier measures have been rendered moot under the new regime. Continue Reading
