mk Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Photo:VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-03-13/04732e36-2288-4832-b453-22e698b84559.jpeg" />

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Photo:VCG

Over a dozen Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), on Thursday issued a guideline to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enhance their compliance awareness and strengthen compliance management.

Amid rising complexity in the external environment, the guideline could offer domestic enterprises essential strategies to mitigate risks while expanding globally, a Chinese expert said.

The guideline, issued by 15 government departments, including the general office of the MIIT, and the corresponding offices of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce and the People's Bank of China, aims to improve compliance management and prevent production and operation risks while promoting the high-quality development of SMEs, according to a post on the MIIT's website. 

Several areas of compliance management are highlighted, including product and service quality, environmental protection, intellectual property and international business operations. 

According to the guideline, SMEs will be guided to strengthen their awareness of compliance risk prevention in foreign trade, investment and cooperation activities. The guideline emphasizes the importance of strict adherence to national export control laws and regulations, while also becoming familiar with overseas market entry requirements, environmental protection laws, land regulations, taxation and other relevant legal frameworks.

Local governments and corresponding departments should guide SMEs to comply with international rules and practices, pay more attention to the assessment and early warning of compliance risks, and establish a sound internal compliance management system. Companies should also strengthen internal compliance review mechanisms to effectively identify, analyze and manage compliance risks.

Moreover, the guideline asked local authorities to effectively respond to external risks related to trade protectionism, export controls and multilateral banking sanctions by carefully selecting risk mitigation strategies to minimize negative impacts.

Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Thursday that this move comes at a time when businesses need to put more effort into coping with the rising complexity of the global trade situation as protectionism is rising in some countries.

"One of the key objectives of the guideline is to reflect the government's determination to help SMEs to better navigate the increasingly complex and volatile global trade environment," Li said, noting that with the rise of protectionism and growing discrimination against Chinese enterprises in certain countries and regions, many face unjust scrutiny and suppression under the pretext of non-compliance or even illegality.

The guideline also said that government departments should guide SMEs in utilizing diversified dispute resolution mechanisms for international commercial disputes to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Li said that special attention should be given to the specific requirements of certain markets, such as the US, where policies frequently change. Investment and product reviews - particularly for Chinese enterprises - are stringent in some markets, the Chinese expert said, noting that a thorough understanding of both domestic and international regulations will enable businesses to better utilize legal tools to protect their rights and interests.  

Global Times