"The burden of proof lies with the party asserting a proposition" (谁主张,谁举证) is a primary rule of burden of proof in China's judicial proceedings. Nevertheless, the rule is not unchangeable.
The technical examination officer (TEO) is a trial assistant to assist the judge in finding out technical facts of the case. Like the expert in authentication, the TEO is a neutral third party but has closer communication with judges.
In Chinese civil litigation, standards of proof can be categorized into two groups: most to-be-proved facts are subject to “preponderance of the evidence” standard, and some special to-be-proved facts subject to “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard.
E-mail is an evidence form recognized by Chinese courts, but given its authenticity being easily challenged, the parties should take the right way to obtain and present evidence to ensure its effectiveness.