China Justice Observer

中司观察

EnglishArabicChinese (Simplified)DutchFrenchGermanHindiItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishHebrewIndonesianVietnameseThaiTurkishMalay

China Passes First Local E-commerce Legislation

Thu, 04 Nov 2021
Categories: China Legal Trends

On 29 Sept. 2021, the Standing Committee of the 13th Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress passed the “Regulation of Zhejiang Province on E-commerce” (referred to as the “Regulation”, 浙江省电子商务条例), which will take effect on 1 Mar. 2022.

“E-commerce”, as mentioned in the Regulation, refers to the business activities of selling goods or providing services through the Internet and other information networks.

Based on the e-commerce practices, the Regulation regulates the operation of e-commerce activities under different circumstances, and sets out the relevant requirements in accordance with the E-commerce Law, the Personal Information Protection Law, and other laws and regulations at a higher level.

Pursuant to the Regulation, where an e-commerce operator presents web pages or provides search results for goods and services to consumers according to their hobbies and consumption habits, it shall also provide consumers with options which are not tailored to their personal characteristics or convenient ways of refusal.

E-commerce business operators shall not make use of technical means such as big data analysis or algorithms to implement unreasonable differential treatment for consumers with the same transaction conditions in terms of transaction price etc.

In addition, business operators shall not engage in unfair competition solely or jointly with others in e-commerce related business activities.

 

 

Cover Photo by Guo ziyu  on Unsplash

Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team

Save as PDF

Related laws on China Laws Portal

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.