Ministry of Information Industry, Administration of Electronic Certification Services Procedures

Promulgated: February 8 2005
Effective: April 1 2005
Applicability: The Procedures apply to the establishment of electronic certification service providers in the PRC and provision of certification service for electronic signatures (Article 3).
"Electronic certification services" refers to the public services that provide the relevant parties using electronic signatures with the verification of the authenticity and reliability thereof. "Electronic certification service providers" refers to a third party organization that provides electronic certification services for electronic signatories and parties that rely on electronic signatures (Article 2).

Main contents: The Procedures stipulate that electronic certification service providers shall have registered capital of not less than Rmb30 million (Article 5). After verification by the Ministry of Information Industry pursuant to the relevant agreement or the principle of reciprocity, electronic signature certificates issued by foreign electronic certification service providers outside the People's Republic of China shall have the same legal validity and effect as electronic signature certificates issued by electronic certification service providers established in accordance with this Law (Article 42).
Related legislation: PRC Electronic Signatures Law, Aug 28 2004, CLP 2004 No.8 p27