What specific measures have been proposed to handle the problems pointed out in the Several Measures?

(I) Optimize services and reduce institutional transaction costs

1. Provide more convenient work and residence permits and exit and entry services. Optimized services for the issuance of work and residence permits are proposed. To optimize the examination and approval procedures for foreigners, the Several Measures will accept applications and provide work and residence permits in a one-stop manner for expert foreign law talents and explore the possibility to integrate foreigners' work permits and work-type residence permits into an integrated residence permit for work. To meet the needs of legal service agencies wishing to invite overseas students for exchanges and internships, the Several Measures will support law firms and arbitration institutions to invite foreign students from well-known overseas universities to Beijing Municipality by issuing short-term private matter visas.

2. Promote optimization of cross-border transactions between legal businesses. To simplify the foreign exchange approval process and raise the efficiency of foreign-related legal business, the Several Measures will provide convenient measures for legal service agencies. These measures include the optimization of the review process of foreign exchange receipts and payment documents for service trade and cross-border renminbi settlement. Legal service agencies will no longer have to prove the authenticity of these documents one by one in advance. This will help facilitate the settlement of cross-border trade in renminbi, as well as the legal and compliant use of renminbi revenue from capital projects.

3. Optimize judicial and administrative approval services. Reduce the time limit of legal service-related matters by half. Remove the regional restrictions for law firms planning to set up new branches, reduce required materials for change of establishment of law firms, and promote certification of the notification-commitment system.

(II) Promote development and enhance international service capacity

4. Build Beijing Municipality into an international commercial arbitration center. Support well-known arbitration institutions and international commercial mediation organizations to set up branches in China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone to carry out foreign-related arbitration and mediation on civil and commercial disputes. Support Chinese and foreign parties in the application and procedures of property, evidence, and behavior preservation before and during arbitrations. Encourage different types of enterprises to choose arbitration institutions in Beijing Municipality for commercial arbitration before signing foreign-related contracts and make agreements for arbitration to be carried out in Beijing Municipality. To meet the needs of international arbitration, which frequently requires access to international websites, the Several Measures will explore the possibility of providing safe and stable dedicated international internet data access in China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone to ensure legal service agencies, such as arbitration institutions, will have a secure channel toaccess the internetunrestricted.

5. Support foreign-related legal service agencies to expand their market. Establish a regular matching mechanism between international investment enterprises and foreign-related legal service agencies. Smooth out the supply and demand channels of foreign-related legal services, support law firms in Beijing Municipality to establish international branches, and carry out cooperation in international commercial transactions with overseas legal service agencies as business partners. Simplify the review processes for international activities between legal service agencies in Beijing Municipality and non-government organizations by allowing online recordation.

6. Enhance the cultivation of foreign-related law talents. Establish and improve the leading talent pool of foreign-related law talents and the backup talent pool. Recommend excellent talents to offer legal services for major foreign-related construction projects and important international activities. Encourage legal industry associations, legal service agencies, well-known domestic and foreign law schools and universities, international organizations, and international legal industry associations to establish talent training bases. Establish Juris Master programs (for cultivating foreign-related lawyers)  and encourage law firms and arbitration institutions with strong foreign-related legal service capabilities in Beijing Municipality to serve as training partners.

(All information in this document is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only. In case of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.) 

(Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform)