Recently, the Supreme People's Court ("SPC") and the Supreme People's Procuratorate ("SPP") have jointly distributed the Interpretations on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases Involving Illegal Fund Payment and Settlement Business and Illegal Foreign Exchange Trading (the "Interpretations"), with effect from February 1, 2019.
12 articles of the Interpretations expound on seven matters. First, it sets out the criteria to identify illegal fund payment and settlement business and illegal foreign exchange trading and the criteria to determine "which circumstances are serious" and "which are extremely serious". Second, it clarifies punishment principles when a criminal is concurrently charged with several counts of "illegal business operation", "money-laundering" and "aid to terrorist activities". Third, it makes clear the criteria to determine the amount of illegal business and the amount of illegal gains, the punishment principles, and the criteria to impose fines. Fourth, it presents the criteria of conviction and sentencing for crimes committed by entities. Fifth, it specifies conditions and criteria to give lenient punishment. Sixth, it touches upon how to determine the place where the crime takes place, in a criminal case involving the illegal fund payment and settlement business or illegal foreign exchange trading. Seventh, it provides the term of validity of the Interpretations. Among others, the Interpretations outline four practices related to the illegal fund payment and settlement business, including "offering others unlawful services to cash cheques".