Author: Ling Xujie 凌许婕

Proactive Strategy for EU Regulatory Investigations: the Nuctech Case

Ling Xujie (凌许婕)

I. Introduction

Multinational corporations operating across borders increasingly find themselves caught in the crossfire of overlapping and contradictory regulatory regimes. While Chinese technology companies entering the European market serve as a prominent example, they are by no means the only foreign entities facing severe compliance bottlenecks under European Union (EU) law; any non-EU enterprise backed by foreign capital or operating across borders faces similar exposure under the EU’s expanding regulatory toolkit. A prime example of this cross-border regulatory conflict is the legal challenge brought by Nuctech—a Chinese security equipment manufacturer—against the European Commission’s unannounced inspections under the newly enacted Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR)[1].

Nuctech’s lawsuit was not just a procedural matter. It raises a deeper … Read the rest

Chasing Transsion: The Crisis Behind Chinese Companies’ Global Expansion as Africa’s “Smartphone King” Loses Steam

WENG Yukai (翁钰开)

1 Introduction

In May 2024, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) conducted a raid on Transsion’s office in Nairobi, allegedly for evading taxes amounting to as much as 400 billion Kenyan shillings.[1] It was evident that Transsion’s legal department was caught unprepared, lacking both a rapid litigation response and effective negotiation with local authorities.[2]

This was the first time people saw the once-invincible Africa’s “Smartphone King” caught off guard. The incident was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by the authorities; in fact, it reflects the fact that China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has entered a new era in which contradictions can no longer be concealed. Taking Transsion as a case study, this post argues that the company’s … Read the rest