China's Ministry of Justice holds a press conference on strengthening foreign-related legal services and the official launch of the “Lex Com” platform on October 10, 2026. Photo: Ministry of Justice

China's Ministry of Justice announced on Saturday the official launch of "Lex Com," a nationwide platform designed to provide legal services to Chinese companies and citizens operating overseas.

Foreign-related legal services are an important component of and provide strong support for advancing the rule of law in foreign-related affairs, and play an indispensable role in safeguarding China's overseas interests and the rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens going global, Vice Minister of Justice Wu Yanjun said at a press conference on the same day.

The platform offers practical tools, including legal and regulatory searches and consultations on specialized legal issues, to address the needs of Chinese businesses and citizens and enhance their capacity to handle foreign-related legal matters, according to the ministry.

The platform provides integrated access to a comprehensive range of legal resources, covering foreign-related laws and regulations, regional and country-specific legal guides, foreign law searches and compilations of representative cases. It includes 207 Chinese laws, 231 administrative regulations and 1,372 departmental rules concerning foreign-related affairs. It also provides over 1,500 legal resources covering 187 countries and regions worldwide, including Chinese translations of 976 foreign laws, 512 country-specific legal guides and 140 typical cases.

The platform also offers tailored legal consultations on practical legal questions through two channels: an AI-powered agent that draws on the platform's resources to provide prompt answers for reference, and a consultation service where a professional team reviews users' questions and provides considered responses. Meanwhile, it strengthens corporate legal teams through coordinated resources. By integrating legal resources across jurisdictions and fields, Lex Com supports corporate legal teams and helps Chinese companies operating overseas develop legal talent. It also integrates online and offline services, with training videos for heads of legal affairs at foreign-related enterprises available for on-demand viewing.

China has amended the Foreign Trade Law and the Maritime Law, and is currently revising the Customs Law, as part of efforts to improve the environment for openness and cooperation, and advance high-standard opening up. As Chinese companies and citizens expand their overseas activities, conducting business and other activities abroad has become increasingly common. A key priority in strengthening the rule of law in foreign-related affairs is to safeguard China's overseas assets and protect the overseas interests of its companies and citizens.

Wu said the ministry will address new economic and social development needs during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), coordinate efforts to advance foreign-related legislative projects concerning international judicial assistance in civil and commercial matters, overseas labor cooperation and overseas contracted projects, and accelerate research on dedicated legislation to protect overseas interests and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of businesses and citizens.

Global Times