Dentons China appointed as legal advisor for Ministry of Natural Resources, P.R.C

On May 25, 2018, the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China ("MNR") issued an announcement that Dentons Beijing was appointed as its legal advisor for year 2018. This is an affirmation of our work in 2017 when Dentons acting as the legal counsel for the Ministry of Land and Resources of the People’s Republic of China (“MLR”). With substantial support from the firm's management team, and senior partners Chen Li (Nanjing) and Wenjun Jiang (Kunming), Dentons Beijing-based senior partner Gavin Yang led and coordinated the project team, mainly consisting of senior partners Huazhi Yuan, Alexander Zhang, Xidong Zhang, Guanshan Yang, associate Yang Hanna and paralegal Bolia Liu, to provide professional and efficient legal services for the MNR.

The first session of the 13th National People's Congress adopted the plan on institutional restructuring of the State Council, and approved the establishment of the MNR. As a constituent department of the State Council, the newly established MNR will undertake the responsibilities of the now-defunct Ministry of Land and Resources, State Oceanic Administration and State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, with additional responsibilities coming from other departments and ministries – the responsibilities of organizing and planning the main body function area (from National Development and Reform Commission), the responsibilities of urban and rural planning management (from Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development), the responsibilities of water resources survey and the management of the registration of the right (from Ministry of Water Resources), the responsibilities of grassland resources survey and the management of the registration of the right (from Ministry of Agriculture), and the responsibilities of forest, wetland and other resources survey and registration management (from State Forestry Administration). The MNR will reserve the name of the State Oceanic Administration.

The appointment showcased not only Dentons' high-level professional legal service capabilities in the fields of mineral resources, land and other natural resources,  and administration, but also our outstanding teamwork in business development, and has greatly enhanced the influence and brand of Dentons in the relevant legal service markets.