Coronavirus: China’s legal system ‘will be more lenient’ on private sector

Businesses accustomed to assets being frozen or executives detained, which can send them bankrupt, promised restraint as economy recovers

Infections in prisons up to 555, justice vice-minister says, blaming guards for not disclosing contact with people who had been to Hubei epicentre

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The courts have been told to be cautious about detaining business owners. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:35pm, 26 Feb 2020Updated: 8:38pm, 26 Feb 2020

China’s judiciary has assured the country’s business sector that courts will be more reluctant to interrupt their operations while the economy weathers the impact from the coronavirus outbreak.

“If the law allows more lenient measures, [we] should try not to use forceful measures that would limit their personal freedom and property rights,” Zhang Shuyuan, vice-president of the Supreme People’s Court, said during a Wednesday press conference in Beijing.

Businesses in China’s vibrant private sector have long complained about discriminatory measures they face compared with the state sector, including greater difficulty in borrowing from banks and bidding for projects, and little protection of their rights when they are investigated by the country’s law enforcement.

The remarks came with Beijing struggling to keep the growth of the world’s second largest economy on track while containing one of its worst public health crises of modern times.

An economy already growing at record low levels before the outbreak has been significantly disrupted by containment measures including mandatory quarantine for workers and sometimes entire villages, partial shutdowns of factories and transport restrictions.

Coronavirus: China’s legal system ‘will be more lenient’ on private sector

Businesses accustomed to assets being frozen or executives detained, which can send them bankrupt, promised restraint as economy recovers Infections in prisons up to 555, justice vice-minister says, blaming guards for not disclosing contact with people who had been to Hubei epicentre

Businesses accustomed to assets being frozen or executives detained, which can send them bankrupt, promised restraint as economy recovers

Infections in prisons up to 555, justice vice-minister says, blaming guards for not disclosing contact with people who had been to Hubei epicentre