MOFCOM has extended record filing to domestic M&A and strategic investments, the MIIT has streamlined application procedures for telecom licenses, the CIRC has tightened checks for insurance companies' affiliated transactions, and the State Council has encouraged the development of commercial old-age insurance products
The CAC has elaborated on the scope of "CII", 2017 Foreign Investment Catalogue has further facilitated FIE establishment, the PBOC has regulated bond connect credit ratings, and the SAT has clarified the preferential tax periods for HNTEs
The Shanghai Free Trade Zone has clarified foreign bank shareholder qualifications, PPP asset securitization has been encouraged, and the PBOC has confirmed that northbound trading of the Bond Connect is not without limits
The FTZ Negative List has been revised, critical network equipment has been defined for the cybersecurity Catalogue, and the localization of personal and important data has been clarified
The PBOC has confirmed there are no northbound trading limits for the mainland and Hong Kong bond market connect, the CSRC has restricted major shareholders from reducing ownership through block trades, and class arbitration has been introduced for labor disputes
Financial institutions have been required to carry out due diligence investigations on accounts, the draft PRC Cryptography Law has set encryption security standards for CII, and the Beijing court has upheld workers' rights
The PBOC and HKMA have launched the mainland-Hong Kong interbank bond market link, the CBRC has required banks to conduct annual stress tests on collateral, and the MOF and SAT have simplified the VAT rate structure
The CAC has required Sino-foreign joint online news services to undergo security assessments and companies to provide user data for internet content investigations, and the SPC and SPP have defined "serious circumstances" for personal data infringement cases
The SPC's Annual IP Report has shown trade secret disputes were a key concern in 2016, SIPO has extended prioritized patent examinations to all case types, and joint private and foreign investment has been encouraged in banks in pilot areas
MOFCOM has abolished the unitary system of authorized brand vehicle sales, the State Council Anti-monopoly Committee has clarified that IP possession doesn't constitute a dominant market position, and the CBRC has pledged to review banks' shareholder qualifications