China Justice Observer

中司观察

EnglishArabicChinese (Simplified)DutchFrenchGermanHindiItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishHebrewIndonesianVietnameseThaiTurkishMalay

China Law Society Releases Annual Report on the Construction of Rule of Law in China(2021)

Mon, 26 Sep 2022
Categories: China Legal Trends
Editor: Lisa Bi

On 17 Aug. 2022, the Annual Report on the Construction of Rule of Law in China (2021) (中国法治建设年度报告), was officially released by the China Law Society. This is the 14th consecutive year that the Annual Report on the Construction of Rule of Law in China has been released at home and abroad.

The Annual Report is provided in both Chinese and English, introducing China’s relevant achievements of the rule of law in 2021.

The key takeaways include:

  • China's first Civil Code came into force.
  • Eight Laws had been amended. As of the end of December 2021, there were a total of 291 effective Laws in China.
  • The State Council formulated nine administrative regulations, amended six administrative regulations, and abolished three administrative regulations.
  • 270 arbitration institutions in China had handled a total of more than 410,000 civil and commercial cases, with more than CNY 800 billion amount in controversy.
  • There are 37,000 law firms and 576,000 lawyers in China.
  • With a total of 14,000 notaries, China handled 12 million notarization affairs in 2021.
  • China had granted 696,000 invention patents, with a year-on-year increase of 31.3%. The number of trademark registrations was 7.739 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 34.3%. Domestic applicants had submitted 5,928 international trademark registration applications to the Madrid System, ranking third in the Madrid Union. The total number of copyrights registered was 6,626,400, a year-on-year increase of 24.30%, and 99 new products protected by geographical indications had been identified, bringing the accumulative total to 2, 490.

 

 

Cover Photo by Nandini Khandelwal on Unsplash

Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team

Save as PDF

You might also like

Beyond the Memorandum: Shanghai Court Enforces Singapore Judgment by Confirming “Reciprocal Consensus” Under China’s New Framework

On January 8, 2025, the Shanghai International Commercial Court recognized and enforced a Singapore High Court monetary judgment in Zhao v Ye (2023) Hu 01 Xie Wai Ren No. 28. It marks the first judicial confirmation of “reciprocal consensus” between China and Singapore under the 2022 reciprocity criteria, based on the China-Singapore Memorandum of Guidance (MOG).

SPC Issues New Rules for Government Information Disclosure Cases

In May 2025, China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) issued a new judicial interpretation, replacing its 2011 predecessor to standardize adjudication of government information disclosure cases and safeguard citizens' right to know by clarifying trial standards, defendant identification, burden of proof, and preventive relief.

China's Top Court Releases Minor Protection Cases

China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) released five typical cases to strengthen holistic judicial protection for minors, exemplifying the "best interests of the child" principle through integrated criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings.

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.