Background In China’s rail sector, foreign-invested enterprises have long faced unequal treatment, especially in urban rail transit projects. A major barrier was the 2014 Tender Evaluation Method for Urban Rail Transit Vehicles, which embedded discriminatory scoring criteria against wholly foreign-owned enterprises and foreign-controlled joint ventures. Because many local projects adopted this Read more…
Background According to the European Business in China Business Confidence Survey 2025, over 55% of European companies in China are actively pursuing carbon neutrality. However, limited access to renewable energy—especially in major manufacturing hubs—remains the main obstacle. Since 2022, the European Chamber’s Energy Working Group has led advocacy efforts to improve Read more…
Background Leasing companies in China previously faced the risk of leased assets—such as vehicles—being transferred or sold without their consent. To protect ownership rights, companies often resorted to ‘double registration’, which increased operational costs and negatively impacted financing pricing.Since 2020, the Non-banking Financial Institutions Working Group has been advocating for Read more…
Background Since January 2021, a safety assessment report has been required for the registration or notification of new cosmetics products and ingredients in China. A full safety assessment requirement was scheduled to take effect on 1st May 2024. However, by mid-March 2024, no technical guidelines had been released to clarify Read more…
Background Based on national standards released in 2021, the set ratios for empty space within food packaging were unrealistically small for special dietary foods, including infant formula and foods for special medical purposes (FSMP). If manufacturers had been compelled to comply, they would have faced significant compliance costs and operational Read more…
Background Due to the limited workload capacity of testing institutes and relevant government departments, many medical devices were unable to fulfil the testing and registration requirements under the State Council’s Decree 739, Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Medical Device Manufacturing, by the deadline of 1st May 2023. This posed Read more…
Background Before new national food safety standards take effect, a grace period is granted so that food producers can adjust and sell products under the old standards. However, over the past decade, the reference dates for implementing new standards have differed between food produced in China and imported food. This Read more…
Background During China’s drug procurement process, patent infringement of originator drugs still exists. The process of stopping such infringement involves multiple government agencies that lack effective coordination.As a result, companies facing infringement must go through a lengthy and difficult process to defend their rights. This undermines the legitimate rights of Read more…
Background A key part of optimising the complex network of global shipping routes—and thereby reducing both costs and the carbon footprint of the shipping industry—is the ability for shipping companies to conduct international cargo relay. Historically, this practice has only been permitted in China for vessels operated by wholly Chinese-owned Read more…
Background Cheese is a traditional European food with a history stretching back thousands of years. Mould and yeast are important and widely-used ingredients in cheese, contributing to its texture and flavour. After cheese is produced, the mould and yeast continue to grow. Unlike international standards, previous Chinese food safety standards Read more…
