Kai Zhan

Kai Zhan is the senior counsel of Yuanda, with specialization in international legal service. He is especially expertized in risk control in the globalization process of Chinese companies for his long experience serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China as a diplomat. Within those days, he represented some giant Chinese state-owned enterprises to negotiate and bargain with the foreign government and counterparts. After that, he served in the private sector for the China’s largest private investment group as legal representative with a widespread project experience both in the developed countries like U.S., Britain, Australia and developing counties, known as “One Belt, One Road” countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. Now he mainly works on the area of Regulatory Compliance, International M&A, International distribute resolution, legal, politic system and diplomatic relationship consulting on the foreign countries, Public relationship maintains, Foreign direct investment (FDI) in China, corporate governance, dissolution and liquidation of entities in China, commercial contract review, capital market in Hong Kong and U.S., U.S. sanction compliance and privacy protection, etc.

Kai received his master’s degree in law from University of Pennsylvania, MBA from Tsinghua University and bachelor degrees in law from Shanghai International Studies University.

Experience

  • Represented a leading global FMCG company in identifying data compliance risks related to data localization and data cross-border transfer, and provided a risk assessment report and corrective actions advice.
  • Advised a large multinational company on its data privacy and data cross-border transfer in China.
  • Assisted several companies in identifying data storage risks in connection with their global data infrastructure layout in line with business development.
  • Represented a leading Chinese semiconductor company in construction and upgrading its U.S. Export control compliance system.
  • Advised SASAC (State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council), Shanghai and Zhejiang government on U.S. Export control.
  • Advised several Chinese multinational companies on export controls and sanctions.
  • As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Kai’s Primary responsibilities included making bilateral diplomatic policies between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Enhanced the implementation of a series of state-led investment projects in these countries and managed crisis management for the regional peace and stability. Kai enhanced state-led investment projects, including Aynak Copper Mine and the Amu Darya Basin Oil Field projects, Pakistan hydropower project and CNNC nuclear power project in Pakistan.
  • As the Liaison Office of PRC in Kosovo, assisted Huawei, Tsinghua Ziguang, Dongfang Electric and other Chinese companies in their business development in Kosovo.
  • As the Embassy of PRC in the Republic of Finland, assisted Chinese companies in bidding for Finnish commercial projects and provided local situation consultation and liaison, and assisted Huawei in cooperation with Nokia.

Publications

  • “How Chinese companies view and respond to US-Western sanctions against Russia”, Wolters Kluwer, March 2022
  • “Will U.S. and European’s SWIFT Sanctions Deal a Fatal Blow to Russia?”, Wolters Kluwer, March 2022
  • “In-depth Interpretation of the Impact of the Unverified List (UVL)”, Wolters Kluwer and LexisNexis, February 2022
  • “12 Chinese Companies were Listed in the Entity List – In-depth Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Launch of a New Round of Sanctions”, Wolters Kluwer and LexisNexis, November 2021
  • “Practical Effects of U.S. Export Control Policies on Chinese Companies and Response Suggestion”, Wolters Kluwer and LexisNexis, November 2021
  • “High Walls in Small Courts? – A Re-Analysis of the U.S. Export Control Legal System to China”, Wolters Kluwer, March 2021
  • “Prospecting the Technical Regulation Legislation of China’s Autonomous Driving from the approval of Regulation No 79 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UN/ECE)”, Wolters Kluwer and PKUlaw, February 2021
  • “ZTE Shares Skyrocket over End Five-Year Probation, Will All Risks be Exposed Going Forward?”, interviewed by Global Times, March 2022
  • “US Court’s Ruling to End Five-Year ZTE’s Probation”, interviewed by Guancha.cn, March 2022
  • “Google Meta Fined EUR210 Million by France for Abusing User Privacy for Profit, Users Should Be Able to ‘One-Click Rejection’”, Interviewed by 21st Century Business Herald
  • “Cross-border lawyers explain Foreign Company Accountability Act: The United States Intends to Intervene in the Financial Market with Hegemony”, Interviewed by 21st Century Business Herald, January 2022
  • Data Security Regulations related to Didi’s Listing”, interviewed by Reuters, July 2021
  • “Luckin scandal ‘heavy blow’ for US-listed Chinese companies”, Caixin, April 2020