With the sharp rise in the number of natural and other large-scale catastrophic events in recent years and the challenges posed by climate change, the demand for innovative solutions in risk management is driving changes to...more
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) signs agreement with MSCI Inc. (MSCI) to license indexes to launch Asia and Emerging Markets futures and options contracts
...more
6/11/2020
/ Capital Markets ,
China ,
Data Protection ,
Emerging Markets ,
Equity Markets ,
ETFs ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financial Transactions ,
Hong Kong ,
Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (HKSFC) ,
Hong Kong Stock Exchange ,
Listing Standards
On 30 April 2020 the People's Republic of China (China or the PRC) announced a pilot scheme for establishing real estate investment trusts (REITs) dedicated to the infrastructure sector, dubbed as the "real" China REITs...more
HKEx published Guidance Materials for Biotech Companies The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) published and updated Guidance Materials providing prospective issuers and the market with more clarity on the...more
More than one year after the release of a draft amended version of the GB/T 35273-2017 Information Security Technology – Personal Information Security Specification (the 2017 Specification) for public comments in January...more
Equity Capital Markets -
First Listing of Iron Ore Futures ETF -
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ("SEHK") welcomed its first iron ore futures Exchange Traded Fund ("ETF") – SSIF DCE Iron Ore Futures Index ETF...more
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across the world, creating new epicenters, this is perhaps an opportune moment to look back at the lessons learned from China, where it appears that the outbreak is under control, in...more
Dutch competition authority imposes fine on company for deleted chat messages during a dawn raid -
The Dutch competition authority (“ACM“) recently confirmed that the obligation to cooperate fully with an inspection/during...more
3/23/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
BSA/AML ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Monopolization ,
Threshold Requirements
On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a public health emergency of international concern. ...more
This tracker covers a range of developments across the region, including China's measures to further open up China's insurance sector, the guidelines issued by the Hong Kong Insurance Authority in light of the regulatory...more
Under normal circumstances the fact that the parties to a contract have imprinted seals (or 'chops' as official company seals are called in China) would typically indicate that the parties have reached an agreement on the...more
On 19 November 2019, the State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”) posted a draft of the Interim Measures on Rewards for Complaints Against Significant Illegal Conduct in the Market Regulation Field (“Draft Reward...more
12/3/2019
/ Anti-Monopoly ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Comment Period ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Illegal Conduct ,
Incentive Awards ,
Monopolization ,
Public Comment ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) ,
Whistleblowers ,
Willful Misconduct
Ever since China began opening up to the outside world, the right of foreign-invested enterprises ("FIEs") to make equity investments within the People's Republic of China (which for these purposes refers to Mainland China...more
12/2/2019
/ Capital Contributions ,
China ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Equity Investors ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Investment Entities (FIEs) ,
Free Trade Zone ,
Investment ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Regulatory Standards ,
State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE)
Two years on since the first draft, the final act of the legislative passage saga of the long-awaited People's Republic of China Encryption Law ended with its promulgation on 26 October 2019. It will take effect on 1 January...more
Following the ground-breaking People's Republic of China (PRC) Foreign Investment Law (FIL) which unifies and replaces the main existing rules governing foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) and their activities, namely the...more
On 15 October 2019 the State Council in China published the decision on revising the Foreign Insurers in China Regulations and the Foreign-Invested Banks Administrative Regulations (known as the "Decision"). The Decision...more
After the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission announced 12 measures to open up China’s banking and insurance industry in May, the Financial Stability and Development Committee under the State Council announced...more
10/24/2019
/ Bond Markets ,
China ,
China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Foreign Investment ,
Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) ,
Institutional Investors ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Pension Funds ,
People's Bank of China ,
QFIIs ,
RQFII ,
S&P
China is marching on to be the world's pioneering cashless society but unfortunately there is an almost complete absence of foreign counterparts in the huge Chinese domestic or cross border transactions initiated from China....more
8/27/2019
/ China ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
E-Commerce ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Investment Entities (FIEs) ,
Internet Retailers ,
Licensing Rules ,
Payment Services Directive ,
PBOC ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Telecommunications ,
Third Party Payments
Between July and August 2019, China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") made one step forward towards China's comprehensive foreign exchange reform. The local branches of SAFE in China's 12 Free Trade Zones...more
Much has already been written about the foreign investment law which was voted into law by China's highest legislative body, the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, on 15 March 2019.
...more
The dynamism of the Technology, Media and Telecoms sector is set to continue.
Challengers can reach scale seemingly overnight, forcing market change at a similar speed. Established business models are upended, driving...more
6/21/2019
/ 5G Network ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Big Data ,
Digital Media ,
Drones ,
eSports ,
Foreign Investment ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Hulu ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Netflix ,
Outer Space ,
Satellites ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
Telecommunications ,
Television Programming ,
Trade Policy ,
UK Brexit
China's new FIL and ambitious but controversial long-term strategies such as "Made in China 2025" mean potentially greater investment opportunities for international companies - particularly in high-tech manufacturing, life...more
6/5/2019
/ China ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Relations ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investment Funds ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Investors ,
Multinationals ,
Technology Transfer Agreements ,
Trade Wars ,
US Trade Policies ,
Webinars
On 28 May 2019, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released the draft Measures on the Administration of Data Security (Data Security Measures, see our in-house English translation here) for public...more
The cybersecurity classified protection regime attracted significant attention when it was included in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) Cyber Security Law promulgated in 2017 (the CSL). The CSL mandates that network...more
The Social Credit System ("SCS") in the People's Republic of China is not a new concept.
But the Chinese Social Credit System is nothing if not controversial. There are two world views of the SCS, which paint diametrically...more