Reed Smith LLP (LexBlog China)

During the thirtieth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China on August 20, 2021, they finally passed the long-awaited Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), which will come into force on November 1, 2021. Our recent client alert, the first in a series which we will...

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on 25 May 2018. It became one of the leading pieces of legislation in the world to offer the highest levels of protection to the personal data of individuals. Many countries followed suit to raise the bar in how organisations handle personal data. The trend...

Amendment XI (the Amendments) to the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China is now in effect. Signaling a continued focus on anti-corruption, the latest amendments to China’s Criminal Law outline increased criminal sentences for private sector corruption and new sentencing standards for private sector bribery. In our recent client alert, we closely examine...

Today’s global economy is facing unprecedented challenges and many firms are in the business of survival as a consequence of the Covid-19 outbreak. While some Asian countries are starting to show signs of emerging from lockdown, it is nonetheless a grim and trite recital to acknowledge that many Asian countries were heavily affected in the...

Last week, a federal judge admonished a plaintiff’s lawyer for filing a second emergency motion in its trademark infringement suit to halt the sale of counterfeit unicorn drawings amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic. On March 9, 2020, the plaintiff, Art Ask Agency, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of...

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Two days later, the WHO stated that Europe showed more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China. Italy now has more reported deaths from COVID-19 than China and, as COVID-19 continues to spread, governments...

On January 30, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a “public health emergency of international concern.” This was, in part, an acknowledgement of the geographic spread of the virus and the need for intensified support for preparation and response, especially in vulnerable countries and regions. Further...

The impact of COVID-19 (“Coronavirus”) on aviation is becoming more pronounced by the day, with the International Air Transport Association (“IATA”) yesterday asking that airport slot allocation rules be suspended to prevent airlines from losing their take-off and landing slots on the basis of failure to meet the required 80% usage rates, as flights continue...

On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (the Virus) to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. It seems clear that the Virus is also having an impact on economic activities not only in China, but also in the 23[1] countries outside of China where...

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on January 30, 2020, that the outbreak of 2019 nCoV (novel coronavirus) is a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” Further information is available in the WHO statement. On January 31, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States also declared a public health...

After soliciting public comments since last November, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) published the finalized Guideline for Internet Personal Information Security Protection (Guideline) on April 10, 2019. The Guideline applies to Personal Information Holders, defined as entities or individuals that “control and process personal information” through their provision of services using...

On October 26, 2018, China enacted the International Criminal Judicial Assistance Law. This law imposes additional procedures relating to the provision of judicial assistance in criminal matters between China and other countries. Our Asia Investigations team considers the key provisions of the law, its potential impact on internal investigations by foreign companies operating in China,...

China’s National Information Security Standardization Technical Committee issued draft amendments (Amendments) to the standards that govern the protection of personal information, “Information Security Technology – Personal Information Security Specification” (Standards, effective May 1, 2018) on February 1, 2019. The Standards provide guidance on interpreting China’s Cybersecurity Law (CSL) and...

The first half of 2018 saw a number of significant changes to the Chinese anti-corruption regime, including amendments to the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and formation of new anti-corruption regulatory bodies. Amidst an anti-corruption campaign in China that continues to gain traction, companies operating in the country should continually evaluate whether current business models run afoul...

Following the issuance of the “Opinions on Deepening the Reform of Examination and Approval System and Encouraging Innovation in the Industries of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices” by the Central Office of the Communist Party of China and the Office of the State Council on October 1, 2017, the former China Food and Drug Administration** formulated...

Mobile phone manufacturer Blue Products, Inc. and its co-owner and President, Samuel Ohev-Zion (collectively, “BLU”), reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) over allegations that BLU misled consumers by allowing a China-based third party to collect detailed personal information about consumers.  The FTC alleged that the Chinese entity collected U.S. consumers text message..

On 7 November, the government of the People’s Republic of China passed the much-anticipated Cyber Security Law of China, which will come into force 1 June 2017. After first and second drafts were put out for public consultation in June 2015 and May 2016, respectively, it was a third draft issued in October 2016 that...

In Neon Shipping Inc. v. Foreign Economic 7 Technical Corporation Co. of China and another [2016] EWHC 399 (Comm) the Commercial Court dealt with an appeal from London arbitrators in a dispute arising out of a shipbuilding contract (“SBC”). The time bar issue The SBC provided in Article XI that: Article XI Guarantee 1.             Guarantee...

In July 2015, China released its new draft cybersecurity law (the ‘Law’), which will potentially have far-reaching consequences for network operators and companies doing business in China. The Law regulates cross-border data transfers and gives individuals greater protection over their personal data, including granting them increased rights to access and amend their personal information. The...

Further to the previous post commenting briefly on Spar Shipping AS v Grand China Logistics Holding (Group) Co., Ltd, for further details and commentary please see the recent Reed Smith Client Alert by Andrew Taylor and Alexandra Allan.

In January, China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) released its ‘Measures on Penalties for Infringing Upon the Rights and Interests of Consumers’ (Measures) which are due to take effect March 15, 2015. These Measures flesh out China’s Consumer Rights Protection Law (CRPL) which was amended in March 2014 and provides guidance as to...

In an Order of Settlement released February 6, 2015, the SEC agreed to stay the administrative action against the Chinese affiliates of the “Big Four” accounting firms for refusing to turn over their audit work papers relating to several U.S.-listed Chinese companies. As we wrote earlier here, the Chinese affiliates of the audit firms had...

In Gard Marine & Energy Ltd v China National Chartering Co Ltd (Rev 1) [2015] EWCA Civ 16, the Appellant sub-charterers appealed the 2013 judgment of Teare J. On or around 12 September 2006, the sub-charterers ordered the vessel, “Ocean Victory”, a Cape-size bulk carrier, to discharge a cargo of iron ore at Kashima, Japan....

There is no question that Chinese investors have played an important role in maintaining deal flow over the past several years, especially for trophy properties in gateway cities like London and New York. However, until recently, these investors have been at a competitive disadvantage due to a lengthy government review and approval process. Under prior...

Significant Revisions to China’s Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices (State Council Order No. 650) China’s State Council released its new Administrative Regulation on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices March 7, 2014, which will be effective June 1, 2014 (the New Regulation). The State Council Legislative Affairs Office worked more...

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently indicated that it would review, de novo, the January 2014 decision barring the Chinese affiliates of the “Big Four” accounting firms from appearing before the SEC.  The Commission’s Order, found here, also granted both parties’ motions to submit additional evidence for consideration – most significantly, the auditors’ evidence that...

For the first time in China, draft measures for the administration of personal health data have been introduced by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC). The NHFPC released the draft November 19, 2013, and invited public commentary on its website. Under the measures, ‘personal health information’ is broadly defined to include: Population information...

  In the first blow to land in the long running dispute between U.S. regulators and the accounting firms that certify the financial statements of China-based companies listed on U.S. exchanges, yesterday an Administrative Law Judge at the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued a decision barring the Chinese affiliates of the “Big Four” accounting...

The regulatory enforcement environment in China remains tense, as both the Chinese government and media bring new actions and allegations against life sciences manufacturers in both the pharmaceutical and device sectors. We are seeing: Increased attention to medical device sector Enforcement actions spreading to smaller cities Continued pressure on pharmaceutical sector Reports of misconduct by...

As reported on Reed Smith’s Life Sciences Legal Update blog, the local Beijing office of the Ministry of Health (MOH) of the People’s Republic of China recently announced that it has started a three-month review of the use of high-value medical consumables and large-scale medical equipment in Beijing. Noting that prior inspections of hospitals had...