Authored by: Su Chang , Holly Blackwell and Yang Zhen
In late 2023, the Chinese government released the Foreign State Immunity Law of the People’s Republic of China (FSIL), the first legislation on sovereign immunity in China. The FSIL, which became effective on 1 January 2024, establishes the general principle of jurisdictional immunity for foreign states and their property in China and defines the exceptions in which Chinese courts may adjudicate civil cases involving foreign states and their property.