Jiayun Feng is a regulatory and insurance attorney at Zhangye Taihe Law Firm with 13 years of experience advising companies on product liability insurance requirements and risk management strategies in China. Her practice bridges the gap between insurance law and product safety regulation, serving both domestic manufacturers and foreign-invested enterprises.

Ms. Feng graduated from China University of Political Science and Law and holds a certificate in insurance law from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission's training program. She regularly advises clients on structuring product liability coverage that meets Chinese regulatory requirements and provides meaningful protection against claims.

⚖️ Insurance & Liability Practice

• ⚖️ Product liability insurance placement — policy review, coverage gaps, exclusions
• 🛡️ Claims management — notification, cooperation, coverage disputes
• 📜 Regulatory compliance — mandatory insurance requirements for specific industries
• 💼 Risk assessment — product safety audits, recall cost estimation

Product Liability Insurance in China

Product liability insurance (PLI) in China is governed by the Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China and regulated by the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA, formerly the China Insurance Regulatory Commission). While PLI is not mandatory for most products sold in China, certain regulated industries — automotive, food and pharmaceuticals, medical devices, hazardous chemicals, and children's toys — are subject to mandatory product liability or recall insurance requirements under industry-specific regulations.

A standard PLI policy in China typically covers the insured's legal liability for bodily injury and property damage caused by defects in products sold or supplied. Policies generally exclude coverage for intentional misconduct, contractual liability assumed voluntarily, damage to the product itself, and recall costs (though separate recall insurance is available).

Article 65 of the Insurance Law gives injured third parties a direct right of action against the insurer, subject to the policy limits. This means that a party injured by a defective product can sue the manufacturer's PLI carrier directly, without first obtaining a judgment against the insured. This is a powerful protection for consumers that also incentivizes insurers to carefully underwrite product risks.

Coverage Considerations for Foreign Companies

Foreign companies exporting goods to China have several options for obtaining product liability coverage. A global master policy with a China-issued local policy (fronting arrangement) is the most common structure. The local policy must comply with Chinese regulatory requirements, including the use of approved policy language and an NFRA-licensed carrier.

Coverage limits should reflect the specific risk profile of the product and the Chinese legal environment. Chinese courts do not impose caps on non-economic damages in personal injury cases, and the strict liability framework means that even a single product defect can generate substantial liability. Many experienced foreign companies carry separate China-specific PLI limits of at least USD 5 million per occurrence.

Ms. Feng recommends that foreign manufacturers conduct an annual review of their China product liability coverage in coordination with local legal counsel. Changes in product lines, distribution channels, regulatory requirements, and court precedents can all affect insurance adequacy. A proactive approach to insurance management is significantly more cost-effective than addressing coverage gaps after a claim arises.

Product Risk Response System — Jiayun Feng

I treat bilingual consistency as a risk control: chops, authority documents, and English summaries must tell the same commercial story.

I prefer early written notices and clean evidence indexes over informal WeChat-only chains when the amount or regulatory exposure is material.

Foreign individuals and companies typically need three workstreams in parallel: factual chronology, authority paperwork, and remedy selection. I keep those streams visible in status notes so headquarters can decide without re-reading the entire file. Where local counterparties rely on relationship pressure, I re-anchor discussions to contract text, statutory rights, and verifiable performance records. Fee arrangements, conflict checks, and confidentiality boundaries are confirmed before substantive drafting or filings begin. After key milestones I deliver a short handover: decisions made, open conditions, filing receipts, and calendar items for renewals or enforcement. This operating rhythm reduces repeat disputes and keeps institutional knowledge with the client rather than trapped in chat history.

• ⚖️ Written scope and remedy map
• 📜 Bilingual document control
• 🛡️ Deadline and limitation tracking
• 💼 Enforcement and settlement options in parallel

Cross-Border Coordination for Jiayun Feng

I document scope, assumptions, and decision rights at engagement start so foreign clients know what will be filed, who must approve, and when silence becomes a missed deadline.

I treat bilingual consistency as a risk control: chops, authority documents, and English summaries must tell the same commercial story.

Foreign individuals and companies typically need three workstreams in parallel: factual chronology, authority paperwork, and remedy selection. I keep those streams visible in status notes so headquarters can decide without re-reading the entire file. Where local counterparties rely on relationship pressure, I re-anchor discussions to contract text, statutory rights, and verifiable performance records. Fee arrangements, conflict checks, and confidentiality boundaries are confirmed before substantive drafting or filings begin. After key milestones I deliver a short handover: decisions made, open conditions, filing receipts, and calendar items for renewals or enforcement. This operating rhythm reduces repeat disputes and keeps institutional knowledge with the client rather than trapped in chat history.

• ⚖️ Written scope and remedy map
• 📜 Bilingual document control
• 🛡️ Deadline and limitation tracking
• 💼 Enforcement and settlement options in parallel