The General Office of the State Council’s legislative work plan for 2018 indicates that several policies affecting foreign companies may be revised this year, including foreign investment restrictions, ecommerce, tax, and environmental regulations.
The State Council plan is prepared each year in conjunction with an annual legislative plan from the Standing Committee of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC). The NPC’s 2018 legislative work plan...
Thousands of companies have moved, shut down, or reduced capacity since China’s central government increased inspections in their implementation of the 2015 Environmental Protection Law. A variety of additional environmental regulations have been released since the law’s enactment and promise a sharp uptick in environmental inspections, which could have far-reaching consequences for foreign company operations. To proactively minimize these risks, the US-China Business Council (...
Costs of complying with China’s environmental protection laws are rising as companies operating there face higher compliance costs, more frequent inspections, and a swath of new laws and regulations on emissions. Already held to high expectations of energy efficiency and low emissions, companies operating in China should prepare for inevitably stricter standards to come.
...During the eighth Strategic & Economic Dialogue which concluded early this week in Beijing — the final round for the Obama administration, China said it would offer a revised Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) negative list next week in Washington, DC, according to statements made by Vice Premier Wang Yang and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew.
The S&ED — the widest-ranging dialogue on the bilateral calendar — consists of two separate tracks covering economic and strategic topics in...
China’s recently released 13th Five-Year Plan (FYP) includes ambitious economic targets aimed to significantly reducing carbon emissions. These goals include increasing the nationwide use of non-fossil fuels by 15 percent, decreasing energy consumption per unit of GDP by 15 percent, and cutting PM2.5 levels by 18 percent, while continuing to advocate for existing national initiatives such as a new carbon trading platform and green tax. As China strives to address its environmental...
The PRC National People’s Congress concluded this month with the release of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan (FYP) on National Economic and Social Development. Outlining economic policies and targets to drive industry development in China through 2020, the plan focuses on maintaining economic growth and social stability while continuing reform efforts. Key priorities include resolving nationwide industrial overcapacity, promoting investment across sectors, strengthening property...
Following President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States last month, the US and China announced a list of energy and environmental-related commitments aimed on cutting down on high-polluting, energy-intensive power and supporting the development of environmental technologies—presenting potential opportunities for companies in these sectors.
The official commitments reinforce the central government’s goal of promoting energy efficiency and environmental...
Concerns about China’s environmental degradation continue to grow, prompting both government and industry to reduce environmental pollution. Six months after the enactment of China’s new Environmental Protection Law (EPL), the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) has shown the new teeth of the EPL by leveling hefty fines on a number of major polluters. Other environmental initiatives—such as the carbon trading pilot programs—have seen slower progress, despite the Chinese government’s...
The spotlight on stronger environmental protection shows little sign of abating in the months since the January 2015 implementation of China’s revised Environmental Protection Law (EPL). Discussions on the 13th Five-Year Plan (FYP) (2016-2020) priorities for environmental protection, the draft Environmental Tax Law, and tougher enforcement measures all aim to increase pressure on polluters. While the increased emphasis on environmental protection may create business opportunities for...
The US-China climate change joint agreement received significant media coverage in the United States, with many outlets citing it as the main outcome of last month’s Obama-Xi summit. Under the agreement, China agreed to cap its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and increase non-fossil fuel energy from 10 to 20 percent of its energy mix by the same year. But despite its high visibility, many questions remain. How much of a change does the new agreement represent? How feasible is implementation...
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