Welcome to China Service Mall!

Order of the President of the People's Republic of China

No. 40

The Decision on Revision of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Contractual Joint Ventures adopted at the 18th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress on October 31, 2000 are hereby promulgated and shall come into force as of the day of promulgation.

The President of the People's Republic of China, Jiang Zemin

October 31, 2000

epdf/e01774.pdfA3Chinese-foreign contractual joint venture, contractual joint venturee01774

Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Contractual Joint Ventures

(Adopted at the First Session of the Seventh National People's Congress on April 13, 1988,amended according to the Decision on Revision of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Contractual Joint Ventures adopted at the 18th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress on October 31, 2000)

Article 1This Law is formulated to expand economic cooperation and technological exchange with foreign countries and to promote the joint establishment, on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, by foreign enterprises and other economic organizations or individuals (hereinafter referred to as the foreign party) and Chinese enterprises or other economic organizations (hereinafter referred to as the Chinese party) of Chinese-Foreign Contractual Joint Ventures (hereinafter referred to as contractual joint ventures ) within the territory of the People's Republic of China.

Article 2In establishing a contractual joint venture, the Chinese and foreign parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Law, prescribe in their contractual joint venture contract such matters as the investment or conditions for cooperation, the distribution of earnings or products, the sharing of risks and losses, the manners of operation and management and the ownership of the property at the time of the termination of the contractual joint venture.

A contractual joint venture, which meets the conditions for being considered a legal person under Chinese law, shall acquire the status of a Chinese legal person in accordance with law.

Article 3The State shall, according to law, protect the lawful rights and interests of the contractual joint ventures and of the Chinese and foreign parties.

A contractual joint venture shall abide by Chinese laws and regulations and may not injure the public interests of China.

The relevant State authority shall exercise supervision over the contractual joint ventures according to law.

Article 4The State shall encourage the establishment of productive contractual joint ventures that are export-oriented or technologically advanced.

Article 5For the purpose of applying for the establishment of a contractual joint venture, such documents as the agreement, the contract and the articles of association signed by the Chinese and foreign parties shall be submitted for examination and approval to the department in charge of foreign economic relations and trade under the State Council or to the department or Local government authorized by the State Council (hereinafter referred to as the examination and approval authority). The examination and approval authority shall, within 45 days from the date of receiving the application, decide whether or not to grant approval.

Article 6When the application for the establishment of a contractual joint venture is approved, the parties shall, within 30 days from the date of receiving the certificate of approval, apply to the administrative department for industry and commerce for registration in order to obtain a business license. The date of issue of the business license of contractual joint venture shall be the date of its establishment.

A contractual joint venture shall, within 30 days of its establishment, carry out tax registration with the tax authorities.

Article 7If the Chinese and foreign parties, during the period of operation of their contractual joint venture, agree through consultation to make major modifications to the contractual joint venture contract, they shall report to the examination and approval authority for approval; if the modifications include items involving statutory industry and commerce registration or tax registration, they shall register the modifications with the administrative department for industry and commerce and with the tax authorities.

Article 8The investment or conditions for cooperation contributed by the Chinese and foreign parties may be provided in cash or in kind, or may include the right to the use of land, industrial property rights, non-patent technology or other property rights.

Article 9The Chinese and foreign parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of the laws and regulations and the agreements in the contractual joint venture contract, duly fulfill their obligations of contributing full investment and providing the conditions for cooperation. In case of failure to do so within the prescribed time, the administrative department for industry and commerce shall set another time limit for the fulfillment of such obligations; if such obligations are still not fulfilled by the new time limit, the matter shall be handled by the examination and approval authority and the administrative department for industry and commerce according to relevant State regulations.

The investments or conditions for cooperation provided by the Chinese and foreign parties shall be verified by an accountant registered in China or the relevant authorities, who shall provide a certificate after verification.

Article 10If a Chinese or foreign party wishes to make an assignment of all or part of its rights and obligations prescribed in the contractual joint venture contract, it shall be subject to consent of the other party or parties and report to the examination and approval authority for approval.

Article 11A contractual joint venture shall conduct its operational and managerial activities in accordance with the approved contract and articles of association for the contractual joint venture. The right of a contractual joint venture to make its own operational and managerial decisions shall not be free from any interference.