https://www.scmp.com/rss/510042/feed Latest news and updates on China’s new anti-sanctions law, which provides a legal framework for retaliation and allows Chinese firms to seek compensation over foreign sanctions. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China has released new regulations that aim to counter the “unjustified” extraterritorial use of foreign laws, the latest move to protect its interests from external threats. Analysts view the move as a shift from diplomatic protests to legal warfare, and some warn it could have wide-ranging applications. The European Chamber of Commerce in China raised concern that the “broad scope, vague language and wide discretion” of the rules went far beyond similar statutes in the West. Amid the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350743/how-china-reinforcing-its-legal-shield-against-foreign-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350743/how-china-reinforcing-its-legal-shield-against-foreign-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s top court has hailed a mediated resolution to an international shipbuilding dispute as a landmark example of the country’s anti-sanctions law working to protect domestic industry. In a social media post on Friday, the Supreme People’s Court said the case was a milestone in China’s legal response to foreign “bullying” and “long-arm jurisdiction”. “Its ruling’s principles demonstrate China’s firm commitment to safeguarding the multilateral trading system and offer judicial insight towards... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344885/maritime-court-case-model-chinas-anti-sanctions-law-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344885/maritime-court-case-model-chinas-anti-sanctions-law-action?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong China’s access to Japan’s coveted industrial-use goods – especially a critical chipmaking ingredient – may face hurdles if Tokyo imposes export restrictions in the event of a prolonged political dispute, though trade is holding steady for now, analysts and a trade organisation said. Beijing’s response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November 7 remarks about Taiwan has prompted some analysts to ask what cards Tokyo might play should the relationship deteriorate further. Beijing’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339079/china-targets-japan-over-takaichis-taiwan-remarks-what-levers-does-tokyo-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339079/china-targets-japan-over-takaichis-taiwan-remarks-what-levers-does-tokyo-have?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 02:00:21 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China imposed sanctions on American units of Hanwha Ocean, accusing the South Korean shipbuilder of cooperating with US efforts to undermine the Chinese maritime sector. Five Hanwha businesses were placed on a blacklist, including a Philadelphia shipyard, preventing anyone in China from dealing with them, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday. The Ministry of Transport also began probing a 2024 US Section 301 investigation of Chinese shipbuilders and whether third... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3329101/us-china-trade-war-drags-south-korean-shipbuilder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3329101/us-china-trade-war-drags-south-korean-shipbuilder?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:01:15 +0000 Carol Yang,Sylvia Ma Carol Yang,Sylvia Ma Beijing has announced sanctions against a US ally over its alleged role in constraining China’s maritime and shipbuilding industries – marking an escalation in tensions in the strategic sector. The move came as Washington enforced port fees targeting China-built or operated vessels on Tuesday, and follows a commitment Beijing made in a previous regulatory update. China placed five US-based subsidiaries of the South Korean shipping giant Hanwha Ocean – including Philly Shipyard, which the firm... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328899/china-sanctions-five-us-subsidiaries-south-korean-shipping-giant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328899/china-sanctions-five-us-subsidiaries-south-korean-shipping-giant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 04:12:28 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Beijing has vowed to hit back at the United States’ attempts to ban Chinese-made chips – particularly those from domestic flagship firm Huawei Technologies – warning of legal repercussions if the guidelines are enforced. The Ministry of Commerce has called Washington’s measures to prohibit the use of Chinese chips a “typical” act of “unilateral bullying and protectionism”, according to a statement on Wednesday. “The US has abused export controls to suppress China, which is a violation of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3311168/china-vows-use-anti-sanctions-law-if-us-ban-huawei-chips-enforced?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3311168/china-vows-use-anti-sanctions-law-if-us-ban-huawei-chips-enforced?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 04:32:39 +0000 China unveiled regulations on Monday to strengthen implementation of its anti-sanctions law as part of efforts to counter external hostilities. The Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law was passed in June 2021 as Beijing sought to expand its legal toolbox and countermeasures in the face of growing US hostility and restrictions. The law stipulates that any person or entity found to have implemented discriminatory measures against Chinese entities or citizens may be placed on an anti-sanctions list. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303684/china-issues-regulations-boost-implementation-anti-sanctions-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303684/china-issues-regulations-boost-implementation-anti-sanctions-law?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Mar 2025 15:00:21 +0000 When Marco Rubio was nominated by US president-elect Donald Trump last month to be the next US secretary of state, one obvious question loomed: how would the Florida senator, who has been sanctioned by China twice, engage with Washington’s biggest rival? Rubio – known for his hawkish stance towards China – could move to stifle high-level exchanges between Washington and Beijing and throw up road blocks to any meaningful negotiation, according to observers. However, Beijing could consider several... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289021/beijing-mulls-us-engagement-options-china-sanctioned-rubio-awaits-top-diplomat-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289021/beijing-mulls-us-engagement-options-china-sanctioned-rubio-awaits-top-diplomat-post?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2024 14:00:12 +0000 China’s northwestern province of Shaanxi has launched the country’s first provincial-level office on international legal affairs, with a focus on issues related to the Belt and Road Initiative. The office opened last week in the provincial capital Xian – a city that was once the start of the ancient Silk Road and today is a focal point for belt and road trade and investment. Shaanxi Daily reported on Wednesday that it will oversee the development of a demonstration zone for international... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3274641/chinas-shaanxi-launches-international-legal-affairs-office-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3274641/chinas-shaanxi-launches-international-legal-affairs-office-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2024 04:00:09 +0000 China has pledged to step up its efforts to shape and influence international law in line with its own strategic interests. The party committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs argued in a recent article that legal frameworks are the “new battlegrounds for international competition”. The struggle for global influence is now being waged on the terrain of “systems, rules, and laws”, and rules-based governance has emerged as a crucial component of China’s core competitiveness, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273592/china-looks-play-greater-role-shaping-international-law-protect-its-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273592/china-looks-play-greater-role-shaping-international-law-protect-its-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 04:00:11 +0000 For the past few months, it has looked as though there may be something of a spring thaw in the US-China relationship. Chinese diplomats have lauded the San Francisco vision, referencing the meeting last November between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which aimed to set guardrails on strategic competition and rebuild ties at the highest level. Xi called for 50,000 American students to come to China in the next five years, sending China’s educational bureaucracy into a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3266661/mixed-messages-undermine-us-china-rebuilding-people-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3266661/mixed-messages-undermine-us-china-rebuilding-people-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2024 01:30:09 +0000 China’s foreign ministry announced sanctions on another former US congressman on Tuesday, three months after he headed a bipartisan delegation of politicians to Taiwan. The ministry said Mike Gallagher, former Republican representative from Wisconsin, “frequently made statements and took actions that interfered in China’s internal affairs, undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and violated China’s interests in recent years”. Gallagher is banned from entering the country, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263545/china-sanctions-former-us-congressman-mike-gallagher-after-trip-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263545/china-sanctions-former-us-congressman-mike-gallagher-after-trip-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 May 2024 13:15:17 +0000 China’s top prosecutor called for efforts to foster legal talent with expertise in fighting terrorism, corruption and cybercrime abroad so Beijing can play a bigger role in international law enforcement and judicial activities. Observers said the move signalled that Beijing saw the need for legal professionals who understand “complex multi-jurisdictional matters” amid intensifying geopolitical competition with Washington and its allies. Ying Yong, head of China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3249905/china-urged-grow-legal-talent-global-fight-against-terrorism-corruption-and-cyberscams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3249905/china-urged-grow-legal-talent-global-fight-against-terrorism-corruption-and-cyberscams?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:08:31 +0000 Beijing has sanctioned US risk intelligence firm Kharon and two researchers in response to the latest Xinjiang-related sanctions by Washington, its foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. The firm, which provides analysis on investment risks – including those regarding Xinjiang – has been sanctioned by the Chinese government in a tit-for-tat response to US Treasury sanctions earlier this month on Chinese entities over their links to alleged human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246309/xinjiang-china-adds-us-risk-intelligence-firm-kharon-and-researchers-sanctions-list-over-human?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246309/xinjiang-china-adds-us-risk-intelligence-firm-kharon-and-researchers-sanctions-list-over-human?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Dec 2023 12:00:22 +0000 The United States has sanctioned another two Chinese officials over alleged links to human rights abuses against Uygurs and other ethnic minorities in the far western region of Xinjiang. The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said on Friday that the sanctions applied to Gao Qi, a former police chief at the Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture in northern Xinjiang, and Hu Lianhe, an official from the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department responsible for shaping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3244558/xinjiang-us-adds-more-chinese-officials-and-companies-sanctions-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3244558/xinjiang-us-adds-more-chinese-officials-and-companies-sanctions-list?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Dec 2023 13:00:21 +0000 President Xi Jinping has called for stronger legal backing in areas related to foreign affairs so that China can better manage its opening up and mitigate risks. Xi described this as an “urgent task for advancing high-level openness to the outside world and addressing external risks and challenges”, state news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. The Chinese leader made the remarks at a Politburo study session in Beijing on Monday. He told the gathering of the top decision-making body that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3243143/xi-jinping-calls-legal-backing-foreign-affairs-urgent-task-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3243143/xi-jinping-calls-legal-backing-foreign-affairs-urgent-task-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:00:16 +0000 Beijing adopted new legislation overseeing the country’s foreign policy on Wednesday, its latest effort to expand a “legal toolbox” to counter sanctions and other perceived hostile Western actions amid concerns about its impact on foreign business operations in China. With a particular focus on national security and countering alleged US-led “long arm” jurisdiction, the all-encompassing Foreign Relations Law is expected to help Beijing use domestic law to retaliate against sanctions and deter... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3225802/will-beijings-new-umbrella-law-deepen-uncertainty-foreign-companies-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3225802/will-beijings-new-umbrella-law-deepen-uncertainty-foreign-companies-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jun 2023 22:00:20 +0000 Last month, HSBC reported a 28 per cent year-on-year drop in its first-quarter profits, mainly due to troubled loans in its Russian and mainland Chinese businesses. Since then, there have been calls for HSBC to split into two – one side focused on Asia, the other on its global business. First, The Wall Street Journal reported than an unnamed investor had made the demand via a public relations firm. Then Bloomberg and the Financial Times reported that Ping An, China’s largest insurer and the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3176478/chinese-spin-would-ring-fence-hsbcs-golden-goose-amid-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3176478/chinese-spin-would-ring-fence-hsbcs-golden-goose-amid-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 May 2022 01:16:22 +0000 China has stepped up calls to remove unilateral sanctions and renewed its push for a global security initiative that it says will transcend Western security theories. In an article in Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrote that sanctions were causing more chaos. Wang made the assessment as part of an expansion on a global security initiative advocated by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum for Asia on Thursday, saying the initiative... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3175416/chinas-foreign-minister-promotes-president-xis-transcendent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3175416/chinas-foreign-minister-promotes-president-xis-transcendent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Apr 2022 05:20:40 +0000 The campaign team of Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu is considering raising funds in cash after US sanctions triggered the removal of his election channel from YouTube earlier in the week, the Post has learned. The move by tech giant Google to terminate Lee’s channel had also left political and business heavyweights worried about possible legal consequences if they contributed to the campaign of a sanctioned former Hong Kong official, one source familiar with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3175102/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-could-american?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3175102/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-could-american?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Apr 2022 15:00:58 +0000 US sanctions on exporting hi-tech products to Russia are creating a dilemma for Chinese tech companies, from ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing to smartphone vendor Xiaomi. On the one hand, it is a tricky proposition to quickly comply with Western sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine as such a move would run counter to the Chinese government’s official policy of opposing sanctions while also angering pro-Russian domestic consumers. For example, ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing -... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3168860/chinese-tech-companies-face-dilemma-deciding-whether-comply-western?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3168860/chinese-tech-companies-face-dilemma-deciding-whether-comply-western?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 14:30:24 +0000 The European Union will hold a summit with China next month to discuss sanctions they have imposed on each other and address the crisis in Ukraine, showing both are keen to open lines of communication despite growing tensions. With observers watching China closely over its stand on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European Commission vice-president and EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis confirmed the summit would take place on April 1. It is expected to occur online. Diplomatic sources and observers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3168814/china-eu-relations-confirmed-summit-expected-cover-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3168814/china-eu-relations-confirmed-summit-expected-cover-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 09:58:40 +0000 President Xi Jinping has urged China to speed up legislation related to foreign matters, with a priority on “urgent” areas including sanctions and interference. “We must use legal means to conduct international struggle,” Xi said in an article published on Tuesday in ​​Qiushi, the Communist Party’s main theoretical journal. “[We] must follow the rule of prioritising the most urgent tasks, strengthen legislation related to external matters and further complete laws and regulations against... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3167233/xi-jinping-urges-china-arm-itself-stronger-laws-and-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3167233/xi-jinping-urges-china-arm-itself-stronger-laws-and-better?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2022 12:00:09 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to prioritise multilateral law enforcement and judicial cooperation to safeguard national security, while reiterating his call for China’s laws to apply beyond its borders. Xi’s comments, made before the Communist Party’s top leadership, come at a time when China is engaged in an intense geopolitical stand-off with several Western governments, with bruising overseas legal tangles piling up for Chinese companies. “It is necessary to incorporate the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3158964/chinas-xi-jinping-vows-focus-judicial-cooperation-multilateral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3158964/chinas-xi-jinping-vows-focus-judicial-cooperation-multilateral?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:11:04 +0000 Headlines about Hong Kong’s “alarming” annual population decline of 89,200 people caught my eye last week as the news bounced its way around the globe. I couldn’t see how such a low number was “alarming”. Idea balloons went up from a Hong Kong government spokesman that perhaps these were people going off to study or work, and perhaps the decline was due to a lack of immigration because of border closures, a declining birth rate, and Hong Kong’s elderly passing faster. The methodology by which... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3145641/hongkongers-keep-faith-anti-sanctions-law-looming-how-much-longer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3145641/hongkongers-keep-faith-anti-sanctions-law-looming-how-much-longer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Aug 2021 23:00:10 +0000 China’s top legislative body has passed an anti-sanctions law, providing legal backing for sweeping retaliation against any individuals, their families and organisations responsible for imposing foreign sanctions against the country. The legislation was passed on Thursday at the closing session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, and was effective the same day. Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the NPC Standing Committee, said that under the new law, the State... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3136770/china-passes-anti-sanctions-law-providing-means-counter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3136770/china-passes-anti-sanctions-law-providing-means-counter?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jun 2021 07:34:24 +0000 China speeded up plans for an anti-sanctions law after Joe Biden dashed Beijing’s hopes that he would adopt a softer policy stance towards China, sources and observers have said. They said discussions about the law started last year during Donald Trump’s presidency but China was looking for signs that Washington would adopt a different approach under a new administration. The law, which will provide a legal framework for retaliation and allow Chinese firms to seek compensation over foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3136676/china-speeded-work-anti-sanctions-law-after-joe-biden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3136676/china-speeded-work-anti-sanctions-law-after-joe-biden?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jun 2021 22:00:00 +0000 Tensions between China and the US may worsen with Beijing expected to pass a new law on Thursday that experts say will enable Chinese companies subject to Western sanctions to retaliate against foreign business partners in mainland courts. The anti-sanctions law – aimed at providing a legal basis to counter foreign sanctions – is expected to be passed by China’s top legislative body, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, at its closing session on Thursday. It comes after the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3136699/chinese-firms-may-be-able-hit-back-foreign-partners-under-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3136699/chinese-firms-may-be-able-hit-back-foreign-partners-under-new?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jun 2021 15:30:00 +0000 European companies have expressed alarm about a new Chinese anti-sanctions law, saying they are concerned by a lack of transparency. The law is expected to pass on Thursday at the closing session of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. It will be the first major legal move by Beijing to retaliate against sanctions imposed by Western nations over China’s handling of Xinjiang and Hong Kong. The decision was announced on Monday night and it will now proceed to its second... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3136626/european-businesses-express-alarm-over-chinas-anti-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3136626/european-businesses-express-alarm-over-chinas-anti-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jun 2021 11:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday said Western governments would get “a taste of their own medicine”, citing her personal experience in being targeted by them, as she welcomed a new anti-sanctions law to be passed by Beijing. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who has been sanctioned by Washington along with some of her top officials and police officers, hit back at the United States and its allies, saying the imminent law would provide legal grounds for Beijing to retaliate. “The Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3136472/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-says-beijings-anti-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3136472/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-says-beijings-anti-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jun 2021 07:20:22 +0000