The Main Character and Evaluation of China's New Electronic Signature Legislation

중국 전자서명법의 주요내용 및 평가와 전망

China has recently (28 August 2004) adopted a new act legalizing the electronic signature. This new act provides electronic signatures with the same legal status as handwritten signatures, and states that on-line certification providers will have to be created in order to ensure the security of on-line operations made using said signatures. This new act is intended to increase Chinese electronic business, and thus to raise the revenue China can expect from said business. And the law grants electronic signatures the same legal effect as handwritten signatures and seals in business transactions, and sets up the market access system for online certification providers to ensure the security of e-commerce. As Internet trade requires a reliable third party to identify the signers, the credibility of online certifying organizations is significant for the transaction security. So, considering the weakness of China's social credibility system, the law regulates that the online signatures certification providers should be approved and administered by governments.