China's State Administration for Market Regulation and Ministry of Commerce have jointly drafted proposed revisions to the E-Commerce Law of the People's Republic of China and have opened the draft for public feedback.

The move aims to implement central government policies on the platform economy, better safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all parties involved in e-commerce, further regulate the conduct of e-commerce platform operators, and promote the sustained and healthy development of the sector.

The draft amendment, comprising 20 articles, focuses on five key areas. First, it seeks to broaden the scope of the law's application. Beyond current regulations covering platforms and operators within them, the draft clarifies the rights and obligations of other participants in the platform economy.

Second, it aims to improve the platform accountability system. Building on existing penalties like fixed fines and orders to suspend business for rectification, the draft introduces more regulatory tools to support normalized supervision.

Third, it defines a coordinated mechanism for regulatory efforts. To address the cross-sector nature of platform businesses, the draft adds the principle of consistent oversight for both online and offline operations, strengthening integrated supervision through inter-departmental collaboration and coordination between central and local authorities.

Fourth, it targets prominent illegal activities in e-commerce. The revisions focus on issues of significant public concern identified in practice, amending and improving relevant provisions to address societal expectations.

Fifth, it aims to deepen openness and cooperation in e-commerce. The draft promotes aligning the sector's rules, regulations, management, and standards with international norms, encourages industry self-discipline, guides orderly expansion overseas, adds countermeasures against external actions, and protects the legitimate rights of enterprises.

The next step involves refining the draft based on the public feedback received, with the goal of advancing the legislative amendment process to establish a stronger legal foundation for innovation and healthy growth in the platform economy.