China's First E-commerce Law To Go Into Effect From 1 January 2019

In recent years, e-commerce has boomed in China. And with the upcoming Singles' Day, promoted annually by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and held on 11 November, we're going to once again witness the power of e-commerce spending. The event, billed as 'anti-Valentine's Day' where Chinese singletons go on a global online shopping spree, last year rung up more than US$25 billion (168.2 billion yuan) in online sales worldwide.

In response, to the rapid growth of e-commerce, the People's First Standing Order promulgated the E-Commerce Law of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as "the Law") on 31 August 2018. The Law, effective from 1 January 2019, is the first to regulate e-commerce businesses, provide consumer protection and foster the development of the e-commerce industry in a sustainable, healthy manner.