BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Justice on Saturday announced the launch of a public database of foreign-related legal resources for Chinese enterprises and citizens, including Chinese translations of foreign laws and representative cases involving foreign-related matters.
The database, "LexCom," began operating fully on Saturday, following a pilot that started in July, the ministry said.
It currently contains more than 1,500 entries of legal resources covering 187 countries, and over 1,800 Chinese laws, regulations and rules concerning foreign matters, Zheng Wei, a ministry official responsible for foreign-related legal affairs, told a media conference in Beijing.
"Our research shows that enterprises and citizens have a strong demand for high-quality foreign-related legal resources and easy access to laws and regulations concerning foreign-related matters, foreign laws, and representative cases involving enterprises expanding overseas," Zheng said.
According to Zheng, users can also submit inquiries on foreign-related matters through the database website, which provides either AI-generated answers based on searches of its resources or responses from a team of legal professionals working with the platform.
The launch of LexCom is part of China's endeavor to promote foreign-related legal services for its enterprises and citizens, and to protect its national interests in general, according to Vice Minister of Justice Wu Yanjun.
Wu noted at the news conference that China has also been encouraging its law firms to broaden their overseas service networks and support the development of international commercial arbitration centers.
"China is gradually emerging as a new destination for international commercial arbitration," he said, adding that Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai are now among the world's most preferred arbitration seats.
According to a new set of regulations issued by China's State Council, which took effect on July 1 this year, professional providers of consulting and evaluation services, legal services, accounting and auditing, credit rating, mediation and arbitration, and intellectual property services are encouraged to improve their international service capabilities and provide high-quality professional services.
Investors are also encouraged to resolve disputes related to overseas investment through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, litigation and other means to safeguard their lawful rights and interests, as stated in the regulations. ■
