China's Social Credit System still lacks transparency and legal certainty

The Social Credit System is to become a defining feature of Beijing's data-based governance. It leads to more transparency about compliance with rules and laws. Breaches of rules but also particularly rule-compliant behavior, will be recorded in publicly accessible databases. German companies are also affected. While some see the system as a regulatory jungle, others use it to better assess Chinese business partners. It remains to be seen in which direction Beijing will develop the system further.