Law Commons^™

Since November 2009, China has passed the United States to become the biggest automobile market in the world. At the same time, China has also surpassed Japan as the largest automobile manufacturer around the world with an annual manufacture capacity of 13.759 million automobiles. In consideration of the importance of the Chinese automobile market, several international automobile giants, including Volkswagen, Toyota, GM, Chrysler, Ford and so on, are injecting more and more capitals, technology and other kind of resources into Chinese market in order to seize a bigger market share within China to leverage their business performance on a global …

On 23 December 2008, the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) and Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”) of People’s Republic of China jointly issued Catalogue of Foreign Investment Advantageous Industries in Central and Western China (“Central and Western Catalogue”), which became effective on 1 January 2009. This marks the second revision to the Central and Western Catalogue since its first promulgation in 2000 (the previous revision occurred in 2004). The Central and Western Catalogue was issued to supplement the Foreign Investment Industrial Guidance Catalogue (“Guidance Catalogue”) which was jointly revised by NDRC and MOFCOM on 31 October 2007 and became effective …

On August 17, 2010, NetEase.com Inc. (“NetEase”), a NASDAQ listed company, made an announcement that the Wrath of the Lich King (“WLK”), an expansion pact of World of Warcraft (“WOW”), was available for download by players in mainland China. It indicates that NetEase has gone through all governmental approval procedures for the online operation of WLK which is an updated version of WOW. Such success in online operation of the WLK has a special meaning for the NetEase especially in view of the hard times of the NetEase in connection with the suspension of the online operation of former version …

On February 26, 2010, the Ministry of Commerce of China (“MOFCOM”) issued the Guiding Opinions on 2010 Outbound Investment and Cooperation indicating that non-financial outbound direct investment amount increased by 6.5% from $40.7 billion in 2008 to $43.3 billion in 2009. Against the background of the severe international financial crisis and economic downturn in 2009, such growth of outbound investment is remarkable around the world. On March 28, 2010, after a drawn-out negotiation, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd (“Geely Group”) executed a definitive agreement with Ford Motor Company (“Ford”) in the presence of Li Yizhong, Minister of the Ministry …

On August 12, 2009, the United States District Court for the Central District of California ("District Court") issued a judgment against Robinson Helicopter Company, Inc ("RHC"), a California corporation as the defendant, recognizing and enforcing a Chinese judgment in favor of Hubei Gezhouba Sanlian Industrial Co., Ltd. ("Gezhouba") and Hubei Pinghu Cruise Co., Ltd. ("Pinghu"), two corporations located in China as the plaintiffs. This case resulted from a serious helicopter accident in 1994. The following 15 years witnessed a series of long-drawn litigations between both parties in the courts of China and the United States. It is really a litigation …

On March 1, 2010, the long-awaited Administrative Measures on Establishment of Partnership Enterprises by Foreign Enterprises or Individuals (hereinafter referred to as “Foreign-invested Partnership Measures”) will come into effect. The Foreign-invested Partnership Measures was promulgated by the State Council of China on November 25, 2009 and opened a new era of foreign investment legal framework in China. Once the Foreign-invested Partnership Measures become effective, the foreign investors will be entitled to conduct investment through the business form of partnership which could only be used by domestic investors in the past in China.

On January 1, 2010, ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (“ASEAN-China FTA”) became effective. Nearly ten years have passed since the ASEAN-China Summit held on November 6, 2001 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. At such summit, an important decision was made to create the framework on economic co-operation between China and the ASEAN and to further establish an ASEAN-China FTA in ten years. The following ten years did witness the dramatic development of the economic and trade relationship between China and ASEAN. On November 4, 2002, the execution of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-Operation between ASEAN and China (“Framework …