Chinese lawmakers began reviewing a draft law on Tuesday designed to strengthen the country’s efforts to combat cross-border corruption, enhancing legal measures for repatriating fugitives, recovering assets, and cooperating with international partners. The draft was presented for a first reading during the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s highest legislative body.
The proposed legislation consists of six chapters and 47 articles, outlining the principles, scope, and key provisions underlying China’s anti-corruption strategy across borders. It defines the operational roles and responsibilities of relevant government departments in handling cases and emphasizes the need for intensified cooperation with foreign authorities. While the draft specifies obligations for enterprises regarding integrity and compliance, detailed provisions remain under review and have not been publicly disclosed.
Liu Jinguo, head of the National Commission of Supervision, introduced the draft, describing it as a strategic step in implementing the central leadership’s anti-corruption agenda, particularly targeting foreign-related cases. Liu highlighted the law’s role in addressing gaps in China’s existing cross-border anti-corruption framework and in enhancing legislative consistency for managing such cases according to the rule of law. He also stressed the legislation’s importance for safeguarding national security and economic development.
Given China’s extensive global trade connections—with partnerships spanning more than 160 countries and regions and Belt and Road cooperation agreements involving over 150 countries and 30 international organizations—the need for clear regulatory standards for internationally operating enterprises is pressing. More than 50,000 Chinese companies currently conduct business overseas, with the scale of their international assets growing rapidly.
The draft law aims to support these enterprises by clarifying compliance obligations and strengthening oversight, encouraging lawful, transparent, and responsible business conduct abroad. Liu acknowledged the increasing complexity of combating corruption, noting that perpetrators employ sophisticated and concealed methods, with domestic and offshore corruption activities becoming more intertwined. He underscored the need to codify experiences developed since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, addressing the current legislative patchwork that lacks systematic procedures for case sharing, corruption reporting, cross-border investigations, and asset recovery.
Legal experts have welcomed the initiative. Zhang Lei, a law professor at Beijing Normal University, praised the draft as a clear signal of China’s unwavering commitment to fighting corruption. He noted that the new legislation will broaden the legal tools available to address foreign-related corruption and support deeper international cooperation in these efforts.