New regulations on public procurement

On 28 September 2025 the Chinese legislator issued a novel Notice Regarding Implementing the Standards for Domestic Products and Relevant Policies in Government Procurement 国务院办公厅关于在政府采购中实施本国产品标准及相关政策的通知 guówùyuàn bàngōng tīng guānyú zài zhèngfǔ cǎigòu zhōng shíshī běnguó chǎnpǐn biāozhǔn jí xiāngguān zhèngcè de tōngzhī. The Notice is effective since 1 May 2026. It is relevant for foreign …

LECTURE: Chinese law of innovation

On 20 April 2026 John Liebeskind was invited by Prof. Daniel Kraus to deliver a lecture on the Chinese law of innovation at the University of Neuchâtel UNINE within the Master in Innovation program under the Faculty of Law. John outlined the Chinese legal framework governing innovation and technology in private law, administrative law, public …

Entre la Suisse et la Chine, le business se développe discrètement

Des fleurons suisses, dont UBS, Novartis, Läderach, Glencore et Swiss Re, ont rencontré une importante délégation chinoise à Berne. Mais les participants suisses ne voulaient pas que la presse assiste à la table ronde. Par peur de fâcher Donald Trump? Source: https://www.blick.ch/fr/suisse/romande/rencontre-a-berne-entre-la-suisse-et-la-chine-le-business-se-developpe-discretement-id21884317.html?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share-button

Xi Jinping is immensely powerful. Why can’t he stamp out corruption?

His purge of the top brass is part of a wider campaign After securing an unprecedented third term as Communist Party chief in October 2022, Xi Jinping led senior officials on a pilgrimage to the party’s “red holy city”. His choice of destination was Yan’an in north-western China, where Mao Zedong’s guerrillas were once based. …

Soon to be published: Chinese Business Law

Staempfli, the Swiss legal publisher, is due to publish “Chinese Business Law” by John Liebeskind, a commentary on the new Chinese business law regime. This book addresses the important development of Chinese business law over the recent years. It is primarily aimed at foreign investors, but also at Chinese lawyers assisting them, by facilitating the …

A new generation of Chinese companies is expanding around the world

And they are doing things differently from their elders A few years ago it would have been hard to imagine Chinese brands making it big in America. Yet today shoppers in Manhattan can pop by the 2,800-square-metre store of Urban Revivo to pick up one of the Chinese retailer’s trendy outfits, which are all the …

Pourquoi la Suisse songe à contrôler les investissements étrangers

By ZHANG Ying L’intensification de la rivalité internationale oblige les législateurs suisses à choisir entre favoriser l’ouverture aux entreprises et protéger des industries clés face à d’éventuels concurrents. Les décideurs politiques suisses s’apprêtent à mettre en place, pour la première fois, un système de contrôle des investissements étrangers dans les secteurs critiques pour la sécurité …

China steps up protections for private sector in updated draft law

China has moved to ban authorities from imposing fines on private businesses without a legal basis in the latest draft of a new private-economy promotion law, as the country’s leaders step up efforts to boost confidence in the private sector and shore up economic growth. Source: https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3299981/china-steps-protections-private-sector-updated-draft-law

Nicolas Rouiller, Company Law

Nicolas Rouiller, Founding Partner of Swisslegal Rouiller Avocats Corp., has published “Droit des sociétés” with Staempfli, a major Swiss legal publisher, in 2024. “Droit des société” is a comprehensive commentary of Swiss company law. Chinese investors in Switzerland can, therefore, benefit the combination of John Liebeskind’s Chinese law practice with the expertise of Swisslegal, with …

China adopts law on customs duties

 Chinese lawmakers on Friday voted to adopt a law on customs duties to promote high-level opening up. The law, which was passed at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the national legislature, will take effect on Dec. 1, 2024. Source: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202404/26/WS662b0610a31082fc043c4244.html

Gérald Béroud: «S’intéresser à la Chine devient suspect»

Le créateur de Sinoptic.ch, unique site suisse d’information sur la Chine, est un fin connaisseur du pays. Il revient sur l’évolution de notre relation à l’Empire du Milieu. Source: https://www.letemps.ch/monde/gerald-beroud-s-interesser-a-la-chine-devient-suspect

Nicolas Musy: «Je n’ai pas connaissance d’entreprises étrangères qui quittent la Chine»

L’industriel suisse installé à Shanghai raconte son vécu durant la période marquée par les confinements successifs et la politique zéro covid imposés par Pékin. Il revient aussi sur la place des entreprises étrangères dans une Chine qui traverse non seulement une crise économique, mais connaît aussi des tensions politiques avec ses partenaires étrangers. Source : …

Nicolas Rouiller, The Swiss Corporation

Nicolas Rouiller, Founding Partner of Swisslegal Rouiller Avocats Corp., has published “La société anonyme suisse” with Staempfli, a major Swiss legal publisher, in 2022. “La société anonyme suisse” is a comprehensive commentary of the Swiss company law of corporations, A.K.A. shareholding or stakeholding company. It covers commercial-, accounting-, liability-, M&A-, stock exchange- and tax law. Chinese investors in …

L’arnaque à deux yuans, ou comment un entrepreneur romand échappe de peu à des escrocs chinois

Un patron suisse s’est fait embarquer dans une mise en scène orchestrée par une société chinoise qui s’est avérée être une coquille vide. Il témoigne, alors qu’ils sont nombreux à être tombés dans un piège tendu pour… quelques milliers de francs Source : https://www.letemps.ch/economie/larnaque-deux-yuans-un-entrepreneur-romand-echappe-escrocs-chinois

La Suisse divisée sur un barrage contre les capitaux chinois

Le Conseil des Etats a voté lundi soir une motion qui appelle à créer un organe de surveillance des investissements étrangers. La Chambre basse se saisira de cet objet à l’automne. En attendant, le gouvernement et Economiesuisse confirment leur opposition Source : https://www.letemps.ch/economie/suisse-divisee-un-barrage-contre-capitaux-chinois

Meyer Burger poursuit un faussaire chinois

La mésaventure de l’entreprise suisse rappelle que le respect de la propriété intellectuelle laisse toujours à désirer en Chine. Ce qui toutefois ne veut pas dire que les autorités chinoises restent les bras croisés Source : https://www.letemps.ch/economie/meyer-burger-poursuit-un-faussaire-chinois

The PRC Exchange Control: Compliance and Circumvention

La Chine maintient un contrôle des changes strict. Elle a récemment intensifié sa lutte contre la fuite de capitaux. La question n’est pas théorique puisqu’on on mentionne des trillions de yuans représentant un pourcentage à deux chiffre des réserves de devises chinoises. En Suisse, l’art. 47 du Code de diligence interdit aux banques de prêter …

Patent Law in Greater China

Patent Law in Greater China est un ouvrage collectif regroupant les contributions de 25 auteurs dont approximativement la moitié d’appartenance chinoise. Les co-auteurs asiatiques sont enseignants, magistrats, fonctionnaires d’agence étatiques pour la propriété intellectuelle ou encore agents en brevets. Les co-auteurs occidentaux sont principalement allemands; ils exercent les mêmes fonctions ou sont encore juristes au …

Why Representative Office Placement Does Not Work

A representative office using temporary workers is challenging and more burdensome than direct employment, as agencies in practice release all responsibility after workers have been placed. Legal reforms have not clarified the situation, which means it may be time for investors to switch to a WFOE.

Dispute Resolution In China

Even though there are obviously local specificities, Chinese-related dispute resolution is not much different than anywhere else in the world insofar as the following basic, universal principle is respected:“prévenir, c’est guérir”. This discussion of Chinese-related dispute resolution is meant for entrepreneurs in China or in business with a Chinese party, not for lawyers. Along with …

The Legal Framework of Swiss International Trade and Investments Part I: Promotion

In 2004, Switzerland ranked as the 16th-biggest importer and 21st-biggest exporter of goods and the 10th-biggest importer and 18th-biggest exporter of services worldwide,1 a remarkable figure for a country with a population of less than seven-and a-half million persons. At the same time, it ranked 15th for inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) flows but 9th …

The Legal Framework of Swiss International Trade and Investments Part II: Protection

In Part I of this article, I discussed the promotion, the admission and the treatment of whenever trade is hampered or their investment harmed in the importing or host country. the legal remedies available to Swiss exporters and investors for protecting their interests half of this study of the legal framework of Swiss international trade …

Letters of Intent in the M&A Context

With the increasing number of mergers and acquisitions during the last two decades, the letter of intent, which precedes most forms of acquisitions of businesses, has become a widespread tool and, indeed, is often considered as a sine qua non condition of any merger or acquisition (M&A). Nevertheless, this institution still enjoys — or suffers …

CASE: arbitration ; deception

John Liebeskind advised Chinese State-owned aeronautical conglomerate about the revocation, by the Chinese party, of a sale contract with a foreign supplier following the discovery that the latter had deceived the former by dissimulating its incapacity to perform, and assisted his client in the ensuing arbitration.