Podcast #1: Force Majeure in China - What It Means and How to Fight It

March 25, 2020 | BY

Vincent Chow

In the first episode of the China Law Podcast, we discuss Chinese businesses claiming force majeure exemptions to contracts. Should foreign counterparties grant these exemptions? Must they? Or should they sue instead? And perhaps most importantly, would they win?

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Edward Liu, Legal Director at Hill Dickinson in Hong Kong

The coronavirus outbreak has caused massive disruption to businesses across China, leading many of them to issue force majeure claims to seek emergency exemptions to their contracts. In this episode, Edward Liu dissects the issue of force majeure from the perspectives of both the Chinese and foreign counterparties, shares insights on what role the Chinese government is playing, and provides practical advice on the steps you should take when faced with a force majeure claim.

Click here to listen to the full podcast on Soundcloud.

Edward Liu is a Hong Kong-based legal director at Hill Dickinson advising on disputes and maritime law matters, and an arbitrator of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. He is also a visiting professor at Shanghai Maritime University School of Economics & Management, and an adjunct lecturer at University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education. He was ranked as one of the top ten maritime lawyers in the world in 2019 by international shipping journal Lloyd's List.

The China Law Podcast is a new weekly podcast discussing China's business and financial sectors from a legal perspective, brought to you by LegalSpeak. To read more on force majeure amid the Covid-19 outbreak in China, click here for an in-depth analysis of how foreign businesses can minimize losses during this period, and here for the avenues available to Chinese businesses who are seeking exemptions to their contracts.