From October 20 to 24, 2025, the 69th Session of Working Group IV (Electronic Commerce) of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (hereinafter referred to as "UNCITRAL") was officially convened in Vienna, Austria. As a key deliberative platform for formulating legal rules in the global digital economy, the core agenda of this session focused on the deliberation of the Default Rules for Data Provision Contracts (hereinafter referred to as the "Rules").

The default rules of UNCITRAL refer to rules that automatically apply in specific circumstances where there is an absence of explicit agreement between parties or other special provisions. Designed to provide general solutions to procedural or substantive issues related to international trade law, these rules ensure the smooth conduct of transactions and the effective resolution of disputes.

At this session, Ms. Li Raojuan, Consultant of Tahota Law Firm, participated in the entire process as a member of the Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC) delegation. She engaged deeply in the deliberation of the Rules and put forward professional suggestions on the revision of certain clauses. For instance, she recommended retaining the content of Paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 2 of the Rules, advocating for the exclusion of software supply contracts from the scope of application of the Rules. This would allow the Rules to focus on data transactions themselves and avoid potential confusion in practical application arising from an overly broad scope. In addition, Ms. Li proposed drawing on the legislative experience of multiple jurisdictions, including the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), to exempt data processing activities conducted for personal or household non-commercial purposes. By clearly distinguishing between data processing in private and commercial contexts, this proposal aims to prevent the inappropriate imposition of compliance liabilities on ordinary consumers and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of users in digital transactions.

The suggestions put forward by the delegation not only accurately grasp the development trends of the global digital economy but also integrate the profound accumulation of years of Chinese legal practice. Taihe Tai's participation in this UNCITRAL session demonstrates the active engagement of China's legal practice community in the formulation of global digital trade rules, and also injects practical experience and wisdom from China into the development of international rules.

Tahota Law Firm has always closely monitored the evolution of global technology and economic and trade rules, committing itself to deepening practical expertise and nurturing professional talents in emerging fields such as the digital economy and cross-border transactions, while continuously enhancing the firm’s comprehensive service capabilities in complex legal environments. By actively participating in international conferences and contributing first-hand professional insights from China’s legal practice, Tahota is taking tangible actions to promote the alignment of domestic and international rules and institutional innovation, thereby steadily elevating the international influence and rule-shaping capacity of Chinese legal service providers.