合同法(权威英文版)

1Thecontractlaw(AdoptedattheSecondSessionoftheNinthNationalPeople'sCongressonMarch15,1999andpromulgatedbyOrderNo.15ofthePresidentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaonMarch15,1999)ContentsGeneralProvisionsChapterICommonProvisionsChapterIIMakingoftheContractChapterIIIValidityoftheContractChapterIVFulfillmentoftheContractChapterVModificationandTransferoftheContractChapterVITerminationofRightsandObligationsundertheContractChapterVIILiabilityforBreachofContractChapterVIIIMiscellaneousProvisionsSpecificProvisionsChapterIXPurchaseandSaleContractsChapterXContractsfortheSupplyandConsumptionofElectricity,Water,GasorHeatChapterXIDonationContractsChapterXIILoanContractsChapterXIIILeaseContractsChapterXIVContractsforFinancialLeaseChapterXVWorkContractsChapterXVIConstructionProjectContractsChapterXVIICarriageContractsChapterXVIIITechnologyContractsChapterXIXContractsofDepositChapterXXWarehousingContractsChapterXXIEntrustmentContractsChapterXXIIBrokerageContracts2ChapterXXIIIIntermediationContractsSupplementaryProvisionsGeneralProvisionsChapterICommonProvisionsArticle1ThisLawisenactedforthepurposeofprotectingthelegitimaterightsandinterestsofthepartiestocontracts,maintainingthesocio-economicorderandpromotingthesocialistmodernization.Article2ForthepurposeofthisLaw,acontractmeansanagreementontheestablishment,alterationorterminationofacivilright-obligationrelationshipbetweennaturalpersons,legalpersonsorotherorganizationsassubjectswithequalstatus.Agreementsonestablishingsuchpersonalrelationshipsasmarriage,adoptionandguardianshipshallbegovernedbytheprovisionsofotherlaws.Article3Thepartiestothecontracthaveequallegalstatus,andneitherpartymayimposeitswillontheother.Article4Thepartiesshall,pursuanttolaw,havetherighttoenterintoacontractontheirownfreewill,andnounitorpersonmayunlawfullyinterfere.Article5Thepartiesshallobservetheprincipleofequityindefiningeachother'srightsandobligations.Article6Thepartiesshallobservetheprincipleofgoodfaithinexercisingtheirrightsandfulfillingtheirobligations.Article7Thepartiesshall,inmakingandfulfillingthecontract,abidebylawsandadministrativeregulationsandrespectsocialethics,andmaynotdisruptthesocio-economicordernorimpairsocialandpublicinterests.Article8Alegallyexecutedcontracthaslegalbindingforceontheparties.Thepartiesshallfulfilltheirobligationsascontracted,andmaynotarbitrarilymodifyorterminatethecontract.Alegallyexecutedcontractisprotectedbylaw.ChapterIIMakingoftheContractArticle9Thepartiesshall,whenmakingacontract,havecorrespondingcapacityforcivilrightsandcivilconduct.Apartymay,inaccordancewiththelaw,entrustanagenttomakeacontract.Article10Thepartiesmay,whenmakingacontract,usewrittenform,verbalformoranyotherform.3Thewrittenformshallbeadoptediflawsoradministrativeregulationssorequire.Thewrittenformshallbeadoptedifthepartiessoagree.Article11Writtenformasusedhereinmeansanyformwhichrenderstheinformationcontainedinacontractcapableofbeingreproducedintangibleformsuchasawrittenagreement,aletter,orelectronictext(includingtelegram,telex,facsimile,electronicdatainterchangeande-mail).Article12Thecontentofacontractisdeterminedbythepartiesandgenerallyincludesthefollowingclauses:(1)designationsornamesandaddressesoftheparties;(2)thetargetedmatter;(3)quantity;(4)quality;(5)priceorremuneration;(6)time,placeandmodeoffulfillment;(7)liabilityforbreachofcontract;and(8)disputesettlement.Thepartiesmaymakecontractswithreferencetovariousmodelcontractforms.Article13Thepartiesshall,inmakingacontract,taketheformofofferandacceptance.Article14Anofferisanintentindicationshowingthedesiretoenterintoacontractwithothers,andtheintentindicationshallconformtothefollowingprovisions:(1)thecontentindicatedshallbeconcreteanddefinite;(2)theofferorshall,asisindicated,beboundbytheintentindicationuponitsacceptancebyanofferee.Article15Aninvitationforofferisanintentindicationshowingthedesiretoreceiveoffersfromothers.Mailedordeliveredpricecatalogs,auctionannouncements,invitationsforbid,capital-raisingprospectusandcommercialadvertisementsaresuchinvitationsforoffer.Acommercialadvertisementshall,ifitscontentconformstotheprovisionsregardingoffers,bedeemedanoffer.Article16Anofferbecomeseffectivewhenitreachestheofferee.Ifacontractismadeintheformoftextinelectronicdataandthereceiverhasdesignatedaspecialreceivingsystemtoreceivesuchdatatext,thetimeatwhichthe4textinelectronicdataentersthedesignatedspecialsystemshallbethetimeofarrival;ifnospecialreceivingsystemisdesignated,thetimeatwhichthetextinelectronicdatafirstentersanyofthereceiver'ssystemsshallbethetimeofarrival.Article17Anoffermaybewithdrawn.Thewithdrawalnoticeofanoffershallreachtheoffereebeforeoratthesametimeasthearrivaloftheofferattheofferee.Article18Anoffermayberevoked.Therevocationnoticeofanoffershallreachtheoffereebeforethedispatchofanacceptancenoticebytheofferee.Article19Anoffermaynotberevokedunderanyofthefollowingconditions:(1)theofferorhasspecifiedatimelimitfortheacceptance,orhasexplicitlyindicatedinanyothermannertheirrevocabilityoftheoffer;(2)therearegroundsfortheoffereetomaintaintheirrevocabilityofthe