China’s Anti-Cross-Border Corruption Law Draft Heads to First Review
The draft of China’s Anti-Cross-Border Corruption Law was submitted for its first review at the 24th session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee on August 25, 2026, marking a significant step in Beijing’s efforts to strengthen its legal framework against corruption that crosses national borders. The draft, consisting of six chapters and 47 articles, was submitted for deliberation by the National Commission of Supervision, according to Xinhua News.
The legislation represents a culmination of years of planning and reflects China’s determination to address the growing challenge of cross-border corruption, which has become increasingly intertwined with domestic anti-corruption efforts.
A Legislative Journey Spanning Three Years
The path to this first review began in September 2023, when the anti-cross-border corruption law was listed as a first-category legislative project in the legislative plan of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, meaning conditions were deemed “relatively mature” for deliberation during the current term. The NPC English website confirmed that the law was slated for deliberation during the current NPC term, which concludes in 2027.
In July 2024, the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee adopted a resolution explicitly calling for “advancing national anti-corruption legislation, revising the Supervision Law, and formulating the anti-cross-border corruption law.” This was followed by the NPC Standing Committee work report delivered in March 2026, which announced plans to formulate the law as part of advancing national anti-corruption legislation.
The 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s 5th plenary session in January 2026 further accelerated the process, explicitly calling for the CCDI to “cooperate with the NPC Standing Committee in formulating the anti-cross-border corruption law.” By May 2026, the law had been listed as a priority in the NPC Standing Committee’s annual legislative agenda.
What the Draft Law Contains
According to China News Service, the draft law’s main contents include clarifying the principles, scope, and positions of China’s anti-cross-border corruption work; establishing the anti-cross-border corruption working mechanism and responsibilities; strengthening case handling and international cooperation; clarifying integrity and compliance obligations for enterprises; and defining legal liabilities.
The draft aims to “elevate the experiences and practical achievements of China’s anti-cross-border corruption efforts since the 18th CPC National Congress into national law,” helping to “enrich legal measures against cross-border corruption, solve prominent problems such as difficulty in discovering, obtaining evidence, recovering stolen assets, and convicting in cross-border corruption cases, and provide strong legal guarantees for investigating cross-border corruption cases.”
The legislation is designed to establish a “four beams and eight pillars” framework for the anti-cross-border corruption system, promoting the organic connection of supervision investigation, criminal justice, administrative law enforcement, integrity compliance, and international cooperation. It forms a specialized anti-corruption foreign-related law integrating punishment, prevention, and countermeasures.
A Decade of Anti-Corruption International Cooperation
The draft law builds on a decade of China’s international anti-corruption enforcement efforts. The “Sky Net” campaign, launched in March 2015 by the Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group’s International Fugitive Repatriation and Asset Recovery Office, has achieved significant results over the past decade. According to China News, the campaign has repatriated 14,048 fugitives from over 120 countries and regions, including 2,999 Party members and state employees, and recovered 66.62 billion yuan in stolen assets.
In 2025 alone, 963 corrupt fugitives were repatriated to China, according to the work report of the country’s top anti-graft body. The “Sky Net 2026” campaign, launched on April 2, 2026, listed “formulating the anti-cross-border corruption law” as a key task, as reported by Beijing Daily.
China has also signed 178 extradition treaties, judicial assistance treaties, and asset recovery agreements with 83 countries, and the National Commission of Supervision has signed 30 anti-corruption cooperation documents with 28 anti-corruption law enforcement agencies in 25 countries and 2 international organizations.
Expert Perspectives on the Law’s Significance
Legal scholars have long advocated for this legislation. Xu Shuang, an associate professor at China University of Political Science and Law, noted that “given that corruption at home and abroad has become increasingly intertwined, it’s imperative to make such a law,” as reported by China Daily HK.
Wang Xiumei, a law professor at Beijing Normal University, emphasized that the legislation “will fill the gap in China’s prevention and punishment of transnational corruption, and contribute to enhancing the anti-graft legal system.” Yang Weidong, also from China University of Political Science and Law, said the law “demonstrates China’s stronger determination and clearer goal to strengthen the fight against corruption through legislation.”
Song Wei, Dean of the School of Marxism at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, wrote in a China Youth Daily article that if cross-border corruption cannot be effectively governed, it will not only directly affect the overall effectiveness of the anti-corruption struggle but also affect the international image of the Party and the country.
Implications for Chinese Enterprises Overseas
A key aspect of the draft law is its focus on regulating Chinese enterprises operating overseas. As noted by SCMP, the law is expected to step up China’s anti-corruption work overseas, targeting fugitives and illicit assets abroad, as well as corruption involving overseas businesses. Some experts believe the law could also help shield Chinese companies from foreign “long-arm jurisdiction.”
The legislation will clarify integrity and compliance obligations for Chinese enterprises operating abroad, supporting the Belt and Road Initiative and helping to build a clean business environment for Chinese companies competing internationally. This aligns with the UN Convention Against Corruption’s requirements for preventing private sector corruption.
What to Watch Next
The 24th session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee runs from August 25-28, 2026, presided over by NPC Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji. The draft law was submitted alongside drafts on healthcare security, farmland protection, and revisions to several other laws, including the Agriculture Law, National Defense Mobilization Law, and Enterprise Bankruptcy Law.
Following this first review, the draft law will undergo further deliberation and revision before a final vote. The legislative process typically involves multiple readings, with the law expected to be formally enacted within the current NPC term. As China continues to deepen its anti-corruption campaign and expand its international cooperation efforts, this law represents a significant milestone in building a comprehensive foreign-related legal system that addresses the challenges of corruption in an increasingly globalized world.