Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP (LexBlog China)

China’s Company Law was initially enacted in 1993, and was subsequently amended in 1999, 2004, 2013, 2018, and 2005. On December 29, 2023, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress approved a comprehensive amendment to the Company Law (as amended, the “New Company Law”). The New Company Law will come into effect on July...

中国正式发布《促进和规范数据跨境流动规定》 On March 22, 2024, nearly six months after the release of the “draft Provisions on Regulating and Promoting Cross-border Data Transfer” (the “Draft Rules”), the Cybersecurity Administration of China (the “CAC”) formally released the “Regulations on Facilitating and Regulating Cross-border Data Flow” (the “New Regulations”), which came into effect on the date of release....

On March 29, 2024, BIS issued an interim final rule (IFR) updating and correcting its advanced computing and semiconductor regulations[1] published in October 2023 (which we discuss here in Episode III). This marks the third release of such semiconductor-related regulations since the key regulations were issued in October 2022 (which we discuss here in Episode...

On December 11, 2023, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China announced its decision to amend the Implementing Regulations of the Patent Law of the People’s Republic of China (the “2023 Regulations”), marking the first update in over 13 years since the last amendment in 2010. The 2023 Regulations take effect on January...

On January 26, 2024, the State Council of China published the “Regulations of the Filing Threshold for Operators’ Concentration (2024 Revision)” (the “New Filing Threshold”), which took effect on the same day. This amendment to the filing thresholds for operators’ concentration will enhance the allocation of anti-monopoly enforcement resources, and represents another step China takes...

On January 26, 2024, the State Council of China published the “Regulations of the Filing Threshold for Operators’ Concentration (2024 Revision)” (the “New Filing Threshold”), which took effect on the same day. This amendment to the filing thresholds for operators’ concentration will enhance the allocation of anti-monopoly enforcement resources, and represents another step China takes...

In December 2023, China’s National Press and Publication Administration introduced draft regulations with potentially significant implications for the online gaming industry. The proposed regulations, aimed at curbing in-game spending, could substantially affect games that rely on high spenders for their revenue, particularly “free to play” games. This initiative is part of China’s broader...

In December 2023, China’s National Press and Publication Administration introduced draft regulations with potentially significant implications for the online gaming industry. The proposed regulations, aimed at curbing in-game spending, could substantially affect games that rely on high spenders for their revenue, particularly “free to play” games. This initiative is part of China’s broader...

In September 2022, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) officially enacted the Measures on Security Assessment for the Cross-border Transfer of Data (the “Measures”). Under the Measures, an entity (the “data processor”) shall conduct a security assessment if its cross-border data transfer activities involves any of the following scenarios: Beijing Cyberspace Administration Office...

On September 28, 2023, the Cybersecurity Administration of China (the “CAC”) published a set of draft Provisions on Regulating and Promoting Cross-border Data Transfer (the “Draft Rules”) to solicit public comments. It has not been publicly announced when the Draft Rules will come into effect. Some legal practitioners speculate that they would take effect before the expiration...

In 1947, then President Harry Truman pledged that the United States would support any nation in its efforts to resist Communism and prevent its spread. The policy was commonly called, “Containment,” capturing the concept that countries aligned with U.S. policy would surround the Soviet Union and its allies, containing the spread of their ideologies. The...

Key Takeaways Background On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released a package of three rules (the 2023 Rules) targeting the Chinese semiconductor industry. The rules update the substantial semiconductor regulations that BIS released a year ago (the 2022 Regulations), reshaping the semiconductor industry and its flows of information...

On May 8, 2023, the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), along with 13 other government departments of the PRC, issued the “Key Highlights for Combating Corruption in the Medicine Purchase and Sale Industry and Medical Services Industry for the Year 2023” to launch a comprehensive anti-corruption campaign in the...

反向CFIUS揭晓:聚焦中国、半导体、人工智能和量子计算 本文作者：J. Scott Maberry, Reid Whitten, Fatema Merchant, Jonathan Wang, Lisa Mays 本文翻译：美国盛智律师事务所上海办公室 Shanghai Office Contact Person: Michael Zhang On August 9, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order (E.O.) ordering the issuance of outbound investment restrictions. This E.O. comes after nearly a year of anticipation (as we have documented on several occasions...

On August 9, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order (E.O.) ordering the issuance of outbound investment restrictions. This E.O. comes after nearly a year of anticipation (as we have documented on several occasions over the past year). This is the start of the reverse Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) process...

On August 9, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order (E.O.) ordering the issuance of outbound investment restrictions. This E.O. comes after nearly a year of anticipation (as we have documented on several occasions over the past year). This is the start of the reverse Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) process...

Introduction: This article examines the regulatory framework outlined in the “Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Privately-Offered Investment Funds” in China. It provides an overview of the new regulations and their implications for privately-offered fund managers, custodians, and service agencies. Understanding and complying with these regulations is essential for stakeholders...

On March 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”) adopted, without change, Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS”) Case No. 2022-D010, Employment Transparency Regarding Individuals Who Perform Work in the People’s Republic of China (88 Fed. Reg. 12861), updating provisions at DFARS 225.7021 and adding contract clauses at 252.225-7057 and 252.225-7058. This latest DFARS..

According to the State Council’s Institutional Reform Plan released on March 7, 2023, the State Council will establish a National Bureau of Data (“NBD”), and it will be administrated by the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”). Pursuant to the announced responsibilities, the NBD will be in charge of “coordinating the construction of data infrastructure, integrating...

Key Takeaways: The Moving Target We have been writing since last July about the proposed outbound investment measures that would review and possibly deny proposed outbound investments from the United States to China. Rumors swirled that the rules would be released by the end of 2022, have broad coverage, and give regulators the authority to...

Multinational businesses have always been affected by major developments in international trade, global risk and geopolitical shifts. The importance of these issues is increasing every day in light of events such as the U.S.-China trade war, the global response to the war in Ukraine, and the risks posed by rogue state actors such as Iran...

Key Takeaways U.S.-person personnel at Chinese chip manufacturers are in a precarious position. New rules limit what activities those persons may undertake with respect to their work. However, there are ways they can nevertheless contribute to their companies, maintain their citizenship status, and comply with applicable U.S. law. Background Since October 7, 2022, when the...

On November 15, 2022, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) opened its docket (USTR-2022-0014) seeking public comments in its review of the Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports. The tariffs were issued by then-President Donald J. Trump under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. USTR seeks comments from interested parties on the effectiveness of...

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has announced the next steps in its review of the Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports. Today, on October 17, 2022, USTR published the official request for comments in the Federal Register. The tariffs were issued by then-President Donald J. Trump under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974....

The Announcement On Friday, October 7, 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released for public inspection (available here) one hundred forty pages of regulations (which we’ll call “the Regulation” here). Nearly all of the changes in the Regulation restrict the export of semiconductors, as well as related technology, manufacturing equipment, software, and...

** Update: Announcement has been moved to Friday October 7, 2022 at 9:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time ** On Thursday, the Biden administration will announce new restrictions preventing China from accessing advanced U.S. semiconductor technology. According to reports, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will issue new rules that would...

Effective August 25, 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”) has issued two new changes to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS”) reinforcing national defense priorities that limit DoD contracts performed in China, and the DoD’s ability to acquire tantalum metals from China and other unfriendly countries such as a Iran, North Korea, and...

On July 7, 2022, the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) released the Security Assessment Measures of Cross-border Data Transfer ( the “Measures”) which will be effective from September 1, 2022. Previously on October 29, 2021, CAC has published a draft version of such Measures for public comments (which we covered in this blog post: here)....

So you’d like to build a new fabrication facility in China, or just add some capabilities to your existing plant? Well, the U.S. Government may want to have a look at that transaction—and may soon have the authority to stop that transaction. On June 13, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers issued a new draft...

In a previous post, we blogged about certain proposed rules issued by China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) on December 24, 2021. The proposed rules consist of general management rules on offshore listings of onshore companies (the “Management Rules”), as well as implementation measures related to the filing of such offshore listings (the “Filing Measures”)....