The Harbin City Social Credit System Construction Promotion Regulations, the first municipal-level social credit construction regulations in China’s northernmost Heilongjiang province, were formally implemented on Feb 1.

The regulations were reviewed and passed by the 33rd session of the Standing Committee of the 15th Harbin People's Congress.

The document outlines the current priorities, difficulties and key points of Harbin's credit construction.

It aims to protect enterprises and individuals' legitimate rights and interests, improve incentives and punishment mechanisms for trustworthy and dishonest entities, and build an honest and dependable social environment.

This legislation focuses on constructing a credit environment and regulates the integrity of government affairs, businesses, society and the judicial system.

The regulations also stipulate that credit subjects have the right to know how their social credit information is used.

Supposing a credit subject believes that collecting, sorting, sharing, disclosure, use of their social credit information, or the determination and punishment of dishonest conduct, is wrong and infringes on their legitimate rights and interests. In that case, they may file a written objection application.

Top leaders of Harbin’s 512 government departments at the municipal and county levels have signed a letter of commitment to the government credit system. The letter of commitment has been uploaded to the "Credit China" public website.

Meanwhile, following the regulations, Harbin will also issue the Harbin Credit Government Construction Work Plan in 2021 to optimize its business environment. The city will provide a guarantee for promoting its high-quality economic and social development.