Some new laws and regulations will become effective in the last month of 2016, bringing changes to people’s lives and other sectors.

Real-name registration in internet live videos

The regulation on internet live video services issued by the Cyberspace Administration will come into force on Dec 1, prohibiting actions that jeopardize national security, sabotage social stability and order, violate people’s legal rights and spread pornography.

The regulation demands registration of live video providers based on IDs, business licenses and organization codes, and requires service providers to set up a negative list for those violating related rules.

Integration of business license and tax registration certificate

The business license and tax registration certificate for self-employed businesses will be integrated into one business license on Dec 1.

The integration will streamline registration procedures for self-employed people and establish a more convenient, optimized and collective mode for market access, said Zhang Mao, head of the State Administration of Industry and Commerce.

Penalty for illegal behaviors in advertisement registration

The advertisement registration regulation issued by the State Administration of Industry and Commerce will become effective on Dec 1.

The regulation will impose stricter supervision on advertisement release and punish illegal behaviors, such as cheating, bribery, unauthorized release and reluctance to change registration information of advertisement accordingly.

The regulation also clarifies conditions and materials for advertisement registration.

First law on asset evaluation

The asset evaluation law, amended and reviewed for 10 years, will come into force on Dec 1, the first one to regulate behaviors of related entities.

According to the law, evaluation institutions should be established in the form of a partnership or enterprises and hire professional employees. Two-thirds of the partners or shareholders should have more than three years of experience in the industry with no prohibition to practice in the last three years.

More service fees for philosophy and social science in universities

The management method of special fund to support philosophy and social science in universities will become effective on Dec 1 in an effort to encourage innovation vitality and build a sound research environment.

According to people from the ministries of Finance and Education, the method explicates a wider scope for service fees. Graduate students, post-doctorals, visiting scholars and researchers and assistants hired under scientific projects are qualified for such payment.

In addition, the method has classified the special fund into spending on research projects, non-research projects and administration.

Local regulations coming soon

Beijing’s newly amended emergency response plan on heavy air pollution will be implemented on Dec 15, putting State I and State II light-duty gasoline vehicles off roads in orange and red air pollution alerts.

Henan province will implement an interim method to reward pollution reports. Citizens can report illegal environmental activities through the 12369 hotline, the official portal or the WeChat public account of the Henan environmental authority.