CCTV:

What measures has the MOJ taken in building a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment? Thank you. 

He Rong:

I will answer the question. It's a good and important question. The market economy is a law-based credit economy. Law-based governance guarantees the consolidation of a foundation, stabilization of expectations, and benefit of long-term goals, which are crucial for high-level opening up. We have earnestly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and taken pragmatic measures to improve the business environment. 

On the aspect of legislation aimed at improving the business environment, we have made efforts to equally protect the legitimate rights and interests of various entrepreneurs and enterprises under all forms of ownership according to the law, by formulating and revising laws and regulations. This includes state-owned, private, and foreign enterprises. We have provided and implemented equitable and law-based protection to all kinds of enterprises, including domestic and foreign, state-owned and private, large, medium, small, and micro businesses so as to facilitate the optimization of the systems and regulations related to property rights protection, market access, fair competition, and social credit. This year, the Regulation on the Supervision and Administration of Private Investment Funds has been formulated and issued, and the revision of other important laws concerning public bidding, accounting, insurance, and anti-unfair competition have been accelerated. At the same time, we also beefed up our work to remove provisions in administrative regulations that disobey equity. Since the beginning of this year, the MOJ carried out a special campaign to concentrate on removing such provisions in all the 602 administrative regulations. We have already published two batches of results to the public and will publish a third batch as soon as possible. Last month, 33 kinds of fines were abolished or adjusted involving various fields and business entities, which effectively eased the burden of business entities and served the building of a fair, transparent, predictable, and law-based business environment.

For another example, on the aspect of enforcing the law in a strict, procedure-based, impartial, and non-abusive way, we have launched a three-year campaign to improve the quality of administrative law enforcement and deepened the initiative of "less certificates, more convenience." We have intensified the supervision of enterprise-related administrative law enforcement and corrected wrongdoings according to the law, such as failing to fulfill duties, acting arbitrarily, behaving uncivilly, or enforcing the law in a way that was not based on procedure. At the same time, we have prepared the implementation of the newly revised Administrative Review Law, which will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. We will give full play to administrative review as the main channel in resolving administrative disputes, enhancing coordination and cooperation with people's courts, and jointly promoting law-based government administration.

What's more, concerning the provision of high-quality legal services for market entities, we have integrated multiple functions, including lawyers, notarization, arbitration, and mediation; provided legal services like compliance management, risk prevention, and dispute resolution for enterprises; and supported the chamber of commerce to carry out individual mediation. At present, more than 11,000 professional mediation committees have been established in various enterprises, and over 3,100 mediation organizations have been established via the chamber of commerce, both of which have played important roles in practice. Since last year, more than 1.5 million enterprise-related dispute cases have been resolved. Meanwhile, we have provided legal publicity for enterprises in the context of the eighth five-year plan on improving legal awareness 2021-2025, involving the participation of numerous journalists. Our goal is to promote the concept of the rule of law and the spirit of contracts, striving to create a market environment and atmosphere advocating integrity, honesty and adherence to honoring agreements. Thank you.