One of China's most export-intensive provinces has launched the country's first provincial public legal services platform for entrepreneurs operating abroad, as Zhejiang's 2 million-plus businesspeople living abroad increasingly find themselves navigating unfamiliar legal systems without adequate support.

As companies move from exporting products to expanding capacity, brands, and capital abroad, legal risks have become a growing concern. Differences in legal systems, compliance challenges and limited access to professional services have left many firms finding it difficult to gain a firm foothold abroad.

To address these issues, Zhejiang has launched the country's first provincially operated public service platform dedicated to foreign-related legal services for entrepreneurs, offering one-stop, full-cycle support.

"The biggest concern for companies is running into trouble as soon as they go abroad — they don't know who to turn to for help, how to prevent risks, or how to defend their rights effectively," said Chen Sanlian, chairman of the platform.

The platform integrates domestic and international legal resources to provide services ranging from risk prevention to dispute resolution, while also supporting foreign-invested enterprises in Zhejiang with compliance and legal consultation.

Chen noted that the initiative builds on earlier efforts to align legal services with opening-up. "Today's platform represents both an inheritance and an upgrade of the concept of rule of law guiding opening-up, introduced two decades ago," he said.

Xu Xiaobo, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Justice, said the province has taken multiple steps to strengthen legal support for development.

"We have promoted the '15-minute public legal service circle' across the province ... ensuring that the strength of the rule of law supports steady and sustainable business development," Xu said.

In his view, foreign-related legal services are a tool to safeguard corporate rights and interests, as well as a competitive advantage for Zhejiang in building a world-class business environment and elevating its level of opening-up.