China Justice Observer

中司观察

EnglishArabicChinese (Simplified)DutchFrenchGermanHindiItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishHebrewIndonesianVietnameseThaiTurkishMalay

China Enhances Sci-Tech Ethics Oversight

Wed, 29 Nov 2023
Categories: China Legal Trends

On 9 Oct. 2023, ten Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly issued the “Measures for Scientific and Technological Ethics Review (for Trial Implementation)” (科技伦理审查办法(试行), hereinafter the “Measures”)

The Measures aim to regulate the ethical review of scientific research, technology development, and other scientific and technological (“sci-tech”) activities, so as to strengthen the prevention and control of sci-tech ethical risks and promote responsible innovation.

According to the Measures, sci-tech activities that shall be subject to sci-tech ethical review include:

  1. sci-tech activities involving human research participants, including human testing, investigation, observation, and other research activities, and sci-tech activities utilizing human biological samples and personal information, among others;
  2. sci-tech activities involving laboratory animals;
  3. sci-tech activities that do not directly involve humans or laboratory animals but may pose ethical risks and challenges to areas such as life and health, ecology and the environment, public order, sustainable development; and
  4. other sci-tech activities that shall be subject to sci-tech ethical review in accordance with laws.

The Measures include a list of sci-tech activities that require ethical review in the Annex, such as:

  1. research on synthesizing new species with significant impact;
  2. related research on the introduction of human stem cells into animal embryos or fetuses and further development into individuals in the animal uterus;
  3. basic research that alters the genetic material or genetic rules of human germ cells, fertilized eggs, and pre-implantation embryo cells;
  4. clinical research of invasive brain-computer interface for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders;
  5. research and development of human-machine integration systems that have strong influences on human subjective behaviors, psychological emotions, and life and health, among others;
  6. research and development of algorithmic models, applications, and systems with the ability to mobilize the public and guide social consciousness; and
  7. research and development of highly autonomous decision-making systems for scenarios involving safety and personal health risks.

 

 

Photo by Stefan Wagener on Unsplash

Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team

Save as PDF

You might also like

China Enacts Landmark Private Economy Promotion Law

China enacted its landmark first Private Economy Promotion Law, effective May 20, 2025, to guarantee fair competition, streamline market access via a unified negative list, and bolster private enterprises through financing, innovation, and service support.

China Strengthens Criminal IP Protection with New Rules

In April 2025, China’s top court and procuratorate jointly issued a new judicial interpretation to clarify standards for handling criminal intellectual property infringement cases, aiming to strengthen IP protection, particularly in the service sector.

SPC’s 2024 Typical IP Cases Include AI Face-Swap Ruling

In April 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court released eight typical IP cases, highlighting judicial responses to emerging issues in AI, gaming, and biotech, including a landmark ruling on AI face-swapping copyright infringement.

China Eases Tax Refunds to Boost Inbound Tourist Spending

In 2025, China has lowered its departure tax refund threshold from 500 RMB to 200 RMB and doubled cash refund limits to 20,000 RMB while expanding eligible stores and streamlining processes, aiming to boost inbound tourism spending and promote Chinese products.

Chinese Courts Bolster Pregnant Workers' Rights Protection

In April 2025, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Supreme People's Court released typical labor dispute cases emphasizing stronger protection of pregnant employees' rights, including a case where unlawful job reassignment and salary reduction were ruled illegal.

China Revises Marriage Registration Regulation

China's revised marriage registration rules, effective May 2025, eliminate location restrictions, simplify procedures by removing hukou requirements, and align divorce processes with the Civil Code's cooling-off period.

China’s SPC Issues Foreign State Immunity Case Guidelines

In March 2025, China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) issued procedural guidelines for handling civil cases involving foreign state immunity, implementing the country's shift from absolute to restrictive immunity under the new Foreign State Immunity Law.