China promotes private sector development with new judicial rules

China's top court on Friday issued a set of judicial guidelines for the implementation of the Private Sector Promotion Law, including a strict "entry-unless-prohibited" approach and efforts to regulate monopoly and unfair competition, to better ensure the healthy development of the country's private sector.

The guidelines include detailed rules for courts' judicial and adjudication work in relevant areas, designed to tackle practical issues and ensure the law is applied properly and consistently, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said in a statement.

The rules comprise 25 articles covering overall requirements and judicial work related to equal treatment of relevant entities, guiding the private sector's lawful operations, ensuring strict and impartial justice, and advancing improvements to build a fair judicial system, according to the SPC.

The top court said that efforts will be made to ensure equal protection for private enterprises to boost their confidence. This includes measures to guarantee fair market competition, help private businesses expand financing channels, tackle their issues like delayed payments, safeguard technological innovations, and promote the sound and orderly development of emerging industries.

The guidelines also emphasize cracking down on corruption and other criminal activities within private enterprises, while encouraging them to maintain strong internal governance.

To stabilize expectations in the private sector, the SPC pledged strict and impartial justice. The guidelines call for stronger legal protection of property rights, proper handling of assets in related cases, rectification of enterprise-related miscarriages of justice, and safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of private businesses and business owners.

The guidelines urge courts to enhance litigation services to reduce costs for private businesses when resolving disputes and seeking remedies.

The guidelines also stipulate better support to help private businesses expand safely overseas and to boost efficiency in foreign-related adjudication.

China's top legislature adopted the country's first fundamental law dedicated to promoting the private sector in April, with the law taking effect on May 20. ■