Consumer law and practice in China: A critique on the 20-year experience and the recent amendment bill

Abstract

Recently an amendment bill (the Bill), the first in the past two decades, to China’s core legislation on consumer protection, the Consumers Rights and Interests Protection Law (Consumer Protection Law), was introduced to the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress (NPC). While the Bill proposes some great changes to the Consumer Protection Law in response to China’s substantially changed market and society, it leaves some important issues unaddressed. This paper, adopting an “economic law in context” approach, critically reviews the historical development and the status quo of China’s consumer protection law and practice. It argues that further changes are required for better consumer law and practice in China.