Launch of the China Law Podcast

China was promoting online dispute resolution even before the coronavirus outbreak. Now, the government wants to see more of it, as business in the country resumes. But questions remain as to whether it will catch on for international disputes.

As China looks to kickstart its economy following weeks of severe disruption, employers must balance obligations to minimize virus transmission risk and at the same time returning to normal operation as quickly as possible. What exactly must employers do before resuming operations? How can they reduce costs? Are layoffs allowed? Jonathan Isaacs, head of Baker McKenzie's China employment practice, answers your burning questions.

Casper Sek of Jin Mao Partners discusses the use of electronic contracts, and their validity and appropriateness for businesses during the coronavirus outbreak

With business disruption caused by the emergence of COVID-19 and possible failure to deliver on contractual obligations on the part of Chinese counterparties, foreign companies doing business in China must consider their contractual liabilities in order to mitigate their potential risks. Scott Yu, Frank Jiang and John Jiang of Zhong Lun Law Firm examine the implications. The authors are grateful for the assistance of Emily Xu and Evy Wu in preparing this article.