Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Application of the Law in Trials of Foreign-related Civil and Commercial Contract Disputes
关于审理涉外民事或商事合同纠纷案件法律适用若干问题的规定
This Provisions aims to further clarify the issue on the conflict of laws for foreign-related civil and commercial contract disputes and recognizes the parties' expressed choice of laws.
(Promulgated by the Supreme People's Court on July 23 2007 and effective as of August 8 2007.)
SPC Interpretation [2007] No.14
These Provisions have been formulated pursuant to the relevant provisions of the PRC General Principles for Civil Law, the PRC Contract Law, etc., in order to correctly try foreign-related civil and commercial disputes and accurately apply the law.
Article 1: The law applicable to foreign-related civil and commercial contracts refers to the substantive law of the relevant country or region, exclusive of the conflict of laws and procedural law.
法释 [2007] 14号
Article 2: For the purposes of these Provisions, the term "contract dispute" includes disputes over the formation, validity, performance, amendment, transfer and termination of contracts as well as liability for breach of contract.
为正确审理涉外民事或商事合同纠纷案件，准确适用法律，根据《中华人民共和国民法通则》、《中华人民共和国合同法》等有关规定，制定本规定。
Article 3: If the concerned parties select or change their selection of the law applicable in a contract dispute, they shall do so expressly.
第一条涉外民事或商事合同应适用的法律，是指有关国家或地区的实体法，不包括冲突法和程序法。
Article 4: If the parties reach a consensus through consultations on the selection or a change in the selection of the law applicable to their contract dispute prior to the conclusion of arguments in the court of first instance, the people's court shall give its approval.
第二条本规定所称合同争议包括合同的订立、合同的效力、合同的履行、合同的变更和转让、合同的终止以及违约责任等争议。
If the parties have not selected the law applicable to their contract dispute but both cite the law of the same country or region and neither has raised an objection to the applicable law, they shall be deemed to have made a selection as to the law applicable to their contract dispute.
第三条当事人选择或者变更选择合同争议应适用的法律，应当以明示的方式进行。
Article 5: If the parties have not selected the law applicable to their contract dispute, the law of the country or region with the closest connection to the contract shall apply.
第四条当事人在一审法庭辩论终结前通过协商一致，选择或者变更选择合同争议应适用的法律的，人民法院应予准许。
When determining the law applicable to a contract dispute pursuant to the doctrine of closest connection, a people's court shall, based on factors such as the particular nature of the contract and the obligations performed by a party that best demonstrate the nature of the contract, etc., determine the law of the country or region that has the closest connection with the contract as the law governing such contract.
当事人未选择合同争议应适用的法律，但均援引同一国家或者地区的法律且未提出法律适用异议的，应当视为当事人已经就合同争议应适用的法律作出选择。
(1) For a sale and purchase contract, the law of the place where the seller was domiciled at the time of the formation of the contract shall apply; if the contract was negotiated and formed at the place where the buyer is domiciled or if the contract expressly specifies that the seller is required to perform its delivery obligation at the place where the buyer is domiciled, the law of the place where the buyer is domiciled shall apply.
第五条当事人未选择合同争议应适用的法律的，适用与合同有最密切联系的国家或者地区的法律。
(2) For a contract for the processing of supplied materials, the assembly of provided parts and other such processing contracts, the law of the place where the processor is domiciled shall apply.
人民法院根据最密切联系原则确定合同争议应适用的法律时，应根据合同的特殊性质，以及某一方当事人履行的义务最能体现合同的本质特性等因素，确定与合同有最密切联系的国家或者地区的法律作为合同的准据法。
(3) For a contract for the supply of a complete set of equipment, the law of the place where the equipment is installed shall apply.
（一） 买卖合同，适用合同订立时卖方住所地法；如果合同是在买方住所地谈判并订立的，或者合同明确规定卖方须在买方住所地履行交货义务的，适用买方住所地法。
(4) For a contract for the sale, lease or mortgage of immovable property, the law of the place where the immovable property is located shall apply.
（二） 来料加工、来件装配以及其它各种加工承揽合同，适用加工承揽人住所地法。
(5) For a contract for the lease of movable property, the law of the place where the lessor is domiciled shall apply.
（三） 成套设备供应合同，适用设备安装地法。
(6) For a contract for the pledge of movable property, the law of the place where the pledgee is domiciled shall apply.
（四） 不动产买卖、租赁或者抵押合同，适用不动产所在地法。
(7) For a loan contract, the law of the place where the lender is domiciled shall apply.
（五） 动产租赁合同，适用出租人住所地法。
(8) For an insurance contract, the law of the place where the insurer is domiciled shall apply.
（六） 动产质押合同，适用质权人住所地法。
(9) For a lease financing contract, the law of the place where the lessee is domiciled shall apply.
（七） 借款合同，适用贷款人住所地法。
(10) For a construction project contract, the law of the place where the construction project is located shall apply.
（八） 保险合同，适用保险人住所地法。
(11) For a storage and custody contract, the law of the place where the storage provider or custodian is domiciled shall apply.
（九） 融资租赁合同，适用承租人住所地法。
(12) For a guarantee contract, the law of the place where the guarantor is domiciled shall apply.
（十） 建设工程合同，适用建设工程所在地法。
(13) For an entrustment contract, the law of the place where the entrusted party is domiciled shall apply.
（十一） 仓储、保管合同，适用仓储、保管人住所地法。
(14) For contracts for the issuance, sale and transfer of bonds, the law of the place where the bonds are issued, the bonds are sold and the bonds are transferred shall respectively apply.
（十二） 保证合同，适用保证人住所地法。
(15) For an auction contract, the law of the place where the auction is held shall apply.
（十三） 委托合同，适用受托人住所地法。
(16) For a brokerage contract, the law of the place where the broker is domiciled shall apply.
（十四） 债券的发行、销售和转让合同，分别适用债券发行地法、债券销售地法和债券转让地法。
(17) For an intermediary contract, the law of the place where the intermediary is domiciled shall apply.
（十五） 拍卖合同，适用拍卖举行地法。
If it is clear that any of the foregoing contracts has a closer connection with another country or region, the law of such other country or region shall apply.
（十六） 行纪合同，适用行纪人住所地法。
Article 6: If the parties act in such a way as to circumvent mandatory provisions of laws or administrative regulations of the People's Republic of China and the applicable foreign law does not have effect, the law of the People's Republic of China shall apply to the dispute over the relevant contract.
（十七） 居间合同，适用居间人住所地法。
Article 7: If the applicable foreign law violates the public interest in the People's Republic of China, such foreign law shall not apply and the law of the People's Republic of China shall apply.
如果上述合同明显与另一国家或者地区有更密切联系的，适用该另一国家或者地区的法律。
Article 8: The law of the People's Republic of China shall apply to contracts of the types set forth below performed within the territory of the People's Republic of China:
第六条当事人规避中华人民共和国法律、行政法规的强制性规定的行为，不发生适用外国法律的效力，该合同争议应当适用中华人民共和国法律。
(1) contracts for Sino-foreign equity joint ventures;
第七条适用外国法律违反中华人民共和国社会公共利益的，该外国法律不予适用，而应当适用中华人民共和国法律。
(2) contracts for Sino-foreign cooperative joint ventures;
第八条在中华人民共和国领域内履行的下列合同，适用中华人民共和国法律：
(3) contracts for Sino-foreign cooperation in the exploration for, and development of, natural resources;
（一） 中外合资经营企业合同；
(4) contracts for the transfer of shares in Sino-foreign equity joint ventures, Sino-foreign cooperative joint ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises;
（二） 中外合作经营企业合同；
(5) contracts under which foreign natural persons, legal persons or other organizations contract for the operations of Sino-foreign equity joint ventures or cooperative joint ventures established within the territory of the People's Republic of China;
（三） 中外合作勘探、开发自然资源合同；
(6) contracts for the purchase by foreign natural persons, legal persons or other organizations of equity from shareholders of non-foreign-invested enterprises within the territory of the People's Republic of China;
（四） 中外合资经营企业、中外合作经营企业、外商独资企业股份转让合同；
(7) contracts for the subscription by foreign natural persons, legal persons or other organizations for capital increases of non-foreign-invested limited liability companies or companies limited by shares within the territory of the People's Republic of China;
（五） 外国自然人、法人或者其它组织承包经营在中华人民共和国领域内设立的中外合资经营企业、中外合作经营企业的合同；
(8) contracts for the purchase by foreign natural persons, legal persons or other organizations of assets of non-foreign-invested enterprises within the territory of the People's Republic of China; and
（六） 外国自然人、法人或者其它组织购买中华人民共和国领域内的非外商投资企业股东的股权的合同；
(9) other contracts that laws and administrative regulations of the People's Republic of China require to be governed by the law of the People's Republic of China.
（七） 外国自然人、法人或者其它组织认购中华人民共和国领域内的非外商投资有限责任公司或者股份有限公司增资的合同；
Article 9: When parties select the law of a foreign country as the law applicable in a contract dispute or change their selection of the law applicable in a contract dispute to the law of a foreign country, they shall provide or attest to the relevant provisions of such foreign law.
（八） 外国自然人、法人或者其它组织购买中华人民共和国领域内的非外商投资企业资产的合同；
When determining that the law of a foreign country is the law applicable to a contract dispute pursuant to the doctrine of closest connection, a people's court may, ex officio, ascertain or require the parties to provide or attest to the relevant provisions of such foreign law.
（九） 中华人民共和国法律、行政法规规定应适用中华人民共和国法律的其它合同。
If both the parties and the people's court fail to ascertain the provisions of the foreign law through suitable means, the people's court may apply the law of the People's Republic of China.
第九条当事人选择或者变更选择合同争议应适用的法律为外国法律时，由当事人提供或者证明该外国法律的相关内容。
Article 10: If the parties have no objection following cross-examination of the ascertained provisions of the foreign law, the people's court shall give its confirmation. If a party has an objection, the people's court shall conduct an examination and arrive at a determination.
人民法院根据最密切联系原则确定合同争议应适用的法律为外国法律时，可以依职权查明该外国法律，亦可以要求当事人提供或者证明该外国法律的内容。
Article 11: Reference shall be made to these Provisions with respect to the law governing Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region related civil and commercial contracts.
当事人和人民法院通过适当的途径均不能查明外国法律的内容的，人民法院可以适用中华人民共和国法律。
Article 12: In the event of an inconsistency between provisions previously issued by this Court and these Provisions, these Provisions shall prevail.
clp reference:1420/07.07.23prc reference:法释 [2007] 14 号promulgated:2007-07-23effective:2007-08-08第十条当事人对查明的外国法律内容经质证后无异议的，人民法院应予确认。当事人有异议的，由人民法院审查认定。
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