Chinese Civil Law for Business

This book offers clear and comprehensive coverage of civil law in China as it pertains to business. It takes a practical approach and is heavy on examples that are based on actual legal cases that have occurred in China. Using these examples, the author illustrates how civil law plays out in real-life situations.

The first two chapters describe the development and general principles of civil law in China, and this is followed by chapters on property rights law, the law of contract and tort liability law. China does not yet have a single civil code, and its civil law regime is made up of a complicated patchwork and hierarchy of laws and statutes. This book systematically gathers the relevant articles from these diverse sources under its chapter topics, explaining any differences among applicable laws and pointing out which take precedent.

The book offers fresh translations of the relevant legal texts. This should be a welcome addition to the field as there are few official English translations of these laws, and the unofficial ones vary greatly. The author provides explanations that make these sometimes difficult texts easily accessible.

Business people, students and scholars will all benefit greatly from this book. Readers will be repaid with an understanding of civil law that will make them more adept in any consideration of business in China and in any business dealing there. They will also gain a fuller picture of China’s economic systems (particularly its property system), the rationale behind these systems, and the policy orientations that will steer their future development.