Published by ChinaMNC · Jianghai
Jiangmen Strengthens Rule of Law to Support High-Quality Development: What Foreign Founders Need to Know
Jiangmen's latest meeting on rule of law highlights efforts to protect market entities, improve government services, and align with international standards—key considerations for foreign founders operating in China.
Jiangmen Advances Rule of Law to Support Economic Development
On October 27, 2026, Jiangmen held a meeting of the Municipal Party Committee Theoretical Study Center Group (Expanded) and the 2026 "Hundred Legal Experts, Hundred Lectures" event, combined with the Municipal Committee's Work Conference on Comprehensive Law-Based Governance. The meeting focused on studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and important instructions on comprehensive law-based governance, as well as the provincial committee's deployment requirements. The goal: to enhance network ecological governance from a strategic perspective and build a higher-level law-based Jiangmen. Party Secretary Chen Jie presided and delivered a speech. Zhang Lei, Secretary and Chairman of the Municipal CPPCC Party Group, and Ling Chuanmao, Deputy Secretary and Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress, attended.
Professor Shi Jianzhong from China University of Political Science and Law gave a special lecture on "Strengthening Comprehensive Network Ecological Governance," covering the importance of network ecological governance in national governance, improving long-term mechanisms, and coordinating legislation, law enforcement, judiciary, and legal education in the network field.
Key Takeaways for Foreign Founders
For foreign entrepreneurs registering or operating a company in China, the meeting signals several practical developments. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Legal Protection for Market Entities
Chen Jie emphasized the need to improve the legislative framework led by the Party committee, with the People's Congress playing a leading role, government support, and participation from all parties. The focus is on strengthening high-quality legal supply and protecting all types of market entities according to law. This includes serving the "13158" new industrial system. For foreign founders, this suggests a commitment to safeguarding business interests through legal means.
2. Law-Based Government and Decision-Making
The meeting called for deepening the construction of a law-based government, adhering to law-based scientific decision-making, standardizing administrative law enforcement, and strengthening supervision. This means more predictable and transparent government interactions, which can benefit foreign companies in areas like licensing, permits, and regulatory compliance.
3. Judicial Fairness and Protection
Judicial organs at all levels are urged to fully and accurately implement the judicial responsibility system, always uphold justice for the people, and build a solid judicial defense line. This points to continued efforts to ensure fair treatment in legal disputes, an important consideration for foreign investors concerned about dispute resolution.
4. Grassroots Governance and Legal Awareness
The meeting stressed consolidating the foundation of grassroots rule of law, optimizing grid management services, promoting the legalization of petition work, and carrying out regular campaigns against gang crimes. It also called for implementing the "Ninth Five-Year" legal education plan to foster a social atmosphere where people handle affairs according to law, seek legal advice when encountering problems, use law to solve issues, and rely on law to resolve conflicts. For foreign founders, this indicates a broader environment of legal awareness that can support business operations.
5. Opening Up with Legal Services
A key point for foreign entrepreneurs: the meeting emphasized serving high-level opening up with the rule of law. Jiangmen will leverage its hometown-of-overseas-Chinese advantages, strengthen cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao in legislation, law enforcement, and judiciary, and build a rule and institutional system aligned with international high standards. This could facilitate cross-border operations and provide a more familiar legal environment for foreign businesses.
Implementation and Responsibility
Chen Jie stressed the need to strengthen the overall leadership of the Party, improve the organizational support system, and consolidate the main responsibility for rule of law construction. The meeting called for integrating rule of law construction with the "15th Five-Year Plan" work of each region and department, strengthening the legal team and digital rule of law construction, and ensuring that tasks in legislation, law enforcement, judiciary, and law-abiding are implemented. The ultimate goal is to transform legal advantages into core competitiveness for high-quality development.
The meeting was attended by leaders of the four municipal teams, the Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee, responsible persons from the Municipal Intermediate People's Court and Procuratorate, principal Party and government leaders of counties (cities, districts), study secretaries of the Municipal Party Committee Theoretical Study Center Group, and principal responsible persons of relevant municipal units.
Practical Implications for Foreign Founders
While this meeting is a domestic governance event, foreign founders can draw several practical insights:
- Legal protections are emphasized: The commitment to protect market entities according to law suggests that foreign-invested enterprises can expect legal safeguards for their operations.
- Government procedures may become more standardized: The push for law-based government and standardized enforcement could lead to more predictable administrative processes.
- Cross-border cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao: The focus on aligning rules with international standards and cooperating with Hong Kong and Macao may offer advantages for foreign companies with regional operations.
- Dispute resolution: The emphasis on judicial fairness indicates that legal channels for resolving disputes should remain reliable.
- Grassroots legal awareness: A society more aware of legal processes can ease interactions with local partners and authorities.
Foreign founders should monitor how these policies are implemented in practice, particularly regarding market access, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution. Engaging local legal counsel can help navigate the evolving landscape.
This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.