《合同法》Contract Law of the People.docx

1、合同法Contract Law of the PeopleContract Law of the Peoples Republic of ChinaOrder 1999 No.15 of the President of the Peoples Republic of ChinaContract Law of the Peoples Republic of China has been adopted at the Second Session of the Ninth National Peoples Congress on March 15, 1999, and is hereby pro

2、mulgated, it will come into force as of October 1, 1999.President of the Peoples Republic of China: Jiang ZeminMarch 15, 1999Contract Law of the Peoples Republic of ChinaGeneral Provisions总则Chapter 1 General Provisions第一章一般规定Article 1 This Law is enacted in order to protect the lawful rights and int

3、erests of the contracting parties, to maintain social and economic order, and to promote the process of socialist modernization.第一条【立法目的】为了保护合同当事人的合法权益，维护社会经济秩序，促进社会主义现代化建设，制定本法。Article 2 A contract in this Law refers to an agreement among natural persons, legal persons or other organizations as equ

4、al parties for the establishment, modification of a relationship involving the civil rights and obligations of such entities.Agreements concerning personal relationships such as marriage,adoption, guardianship, etc.shall be governed by the provisions in other laws.第二条【合同定义】本法所称合同是平等主体的自然人、法人、其他组织之间设

5、立、变更、终止民事权利义务关系的协议。婚姻、收养、监护等有关身份关系的协议，适用其他法律的规定。Article 3 Contracting parties shall have equal legal status, and no party may impose its will on the other party.第三条【平等原则】合同当事人的法律地位平等，一方不得将自己的意志强加给另一方。Article 4 The parties have the right to lawfully enter into a contract of their own free will in acc

6、ordance with the law, and no unit or individual may illegally interfere therewith.第四条【合同自由原则】当事人依法享有自愿订立合同的权利，任何单位和个人不得非法干预。Article 5 The parties shall adhere to the principle of fairness in deciding their respective rights and obligations.第五条【公平原则】当事人应当遵循公平原则确定各方的权利和义务。Article 6 The parties shall o

7、bserve the principle of honesty and good faith in exercising their rights and performing their obligations.第六条【诚实信用原则】当事人行使权利、履行义务应当遵循诚实信用原则。Article 7 In concluding and performing a contract, the parties shall comply with the laws and administrative regulations, respect social ethics, and shall not

8、disrupt the social and economic order or impair the public interests.第七条【遵纪守法原则】当事人订立、履行合同，应当遵守法律、行政法规，尊重社会公德，不得扰乱社会经济秩序，损害社会公共利益。Article 8 A lawfully established contract shall be legally binding on the parties thereto, each of whom shall perform its own obligations in accordance with the terms of

9、the contract, and no party shall unilaterally modify or terminate the contract.The contract established according to law is protected by law.第八条【依合同履行义务原则】依法成立的合同，对当事人具有法律约束力。当事人应当按照约定履行自己的义务，不得擅自变更或者解除合同。依法成立的合同，受法律保护。Chapter 2 Conclusion of Contracts第二章合同的订立Article 9 In entering into a contract, t

10、he parties shall have appropriate capacities for civil rights and civil acts.A party may appoint an agent to enter into a contract on its behalf in accordance with the law.第九条【订立合同的能力】当事人订立合同，应当具有相应的民事权利能力和民事行为能力。当事人依法可以委托代理人订立合同。Article 10 The parties may use written, oral or other forms in enterin

11、g into a contract.A contract shall be in written form if the laws or administrative regulations so provide. A contract shall be concluded in written form if the parties so agree.第十条【合同的形式】当事人订立合同，有书面形式、口头形式和其他形式。法律、行政法规规定采用书面形式的，应当采用书面形式。当事人约定采用书面形式的，应当采用书面形式。Article 11 Written form refers to a form

12、 such as a written contractual agreement, letter, electronic data text(including a telegram, telex, fax, electronic data exchange and e-mail)that can tangibly express the contents contained therein.第十一条【书面形式】书面形式是指合同书、信件和数据电文（包括电报、电传、传真、电子数据交换和电子邮件）等可以有形地表现所载内容的形式。Article 12 The contents of a contra

13、ct shall be agreed upon by the parties, and shall generally contain the following clauses:(1) titles or names and domiciles of the parties;(2) subject matter;(3) quantity;(4) quality;(5) price or remuneration;(6) time limit, place and method of performance;(7) liability for breach of contract; and(8

14、) method to settle disputes.The parties may conclude a contract by reference to a model text of each kind of contract.第十二条【合同内容】合同的内容由当事人约定，一般包括以下条款：（一）当事人的名称或者姓名和住所；（二）标的；（三）数量；（四）质量；（五）价款或者报酬；（六）履行期限、地点和方式；（七）违约责任；（八）解决争议的方法。当事人可以参照各类合同的示范文本订立合同。Article 13 The parties shall conclude a contract in

15、the form of an offer and an acceptance.第十三条【订立合同方式】当事人订立合同，采取要约、承诺方式。Article 14 An offer is an expression of an intent to enter into a contract with another person. Such expression of intent shall comply with the following:(1) its contents shall be specific and definite;(2) it indicates that the off

16、eror will be bound by the expression of intent in case of acceptance by the offeree.第十四条【要约】要约是希望和他人订立合同的意思表示，该意思表示应当符合下列规定：（一）内容具体确定；（二）表明经受要约人承诺，要约人即受该意思表示约束。Article 15 An invitation for offer is an expression of an intent to invite other parties to make offers thereto. Mailed price lists, public

17、notices of auction and tender, prospectuses and commercial advertisements, etc. are invitations for offer.Where the contents of a commercial advertisement meet the requirements for an offer, it shall be regarded as an offer.第十五条【要约邀请】要约邀请是希望他人向自己发出要约的意思表示。寄送的价目表、拍卖公告、招标公告、招股说明书、商业广告等为要约邀请。商业广告的内容符合要

18、约规定的，视为要约。Article 16 An offer becomes effective when it reaches the offeree.If a contract is concluded through data-telex, and a recipient designates a specific system to receive the date-telex, the time when the data-telex enters such specific system shall be the time of arrival; if no specific sys

19、tem is appointed, the time when the data-telex first enters any of the recipients systems shall be regarded as the time of arrival.第十六条【要约的生效】要约到达受要约人时生效。采用数据电文形式订立合同，收件人指定特定系统接收数据电文的，该数据电文进入该特定系统的时间，视为到达时间；未指定特定系统的，该数据电文进入收件人的任何系统的首次时间，视为到达时间。Article 17 An offer may be withdrawn. The withdrawal not

20、ice shall reach the offeree before or at the same time when the offer arrives.第十七条【要约的撤回】要约可以撤回。撤回要约的通知应当在要约到达受要约人之前或者与要约同时到达受要约人。Article 18 An offer may be revoked. The revocation notice shall reach the offeree before it has dispatched a notice of acceptance.第十八条【要约的撤销】要约可以撤销。撤销要约的通知应当在受要约人发出承诺通知之前

21、到达受要约人。Article 19 An offer may not be revoked, if(1) the offeror indicates a fixed time for acceptance or otherwise explicitly states that the offer is irrevocable; or(2) the offeree has reasons to rely on the offer as being irrevocable and has made preparation for performing the contact.第十九条【要约不得撤销

22、的情形】有下列情形之一的，要约不得撤销：（一）要约人确定了承诺期限或者以其他形式明示要约不可撤销；（二）受要约人有理由认为要约是不可撤销的，并已经为履行合同作了准备工作。Article 20 An offer shall lose efficacy under any of the following circumstances:(1) the notice of rejection reaches the offeror;(2) the offeror revokes the offer in accordance with the law;(3) the offeree fails to

23、dispatch an acceptance before the expiration of the time limit for acceptance;(4) the offeree makes substantial changes to the contents of the offer.第二十条【要约的失效】有下列情形之一的，要约失效：（一）拒绝要约的通知到达要约人；（二）要约人依法撤销要约；（三）承诺期限届满，受要约人未作出承诺；（四）受要约人对要约的内容作出实质性变更。Article 21 An acceptance is the expression of an intenti

24、on to by the offeree to assent to the offer.第二十一条【承诺的定义】承诺是受要约人同意要约的意思表示。Article 22 The acceptance shall be made in the form of a notice, except where acceptance may be made by an act on the basis of customary business practice or as expressed in the offer.第二十二条【承诺的方式】承诺应当以通知的方式作出，但根据交易习惯或者要约表明可以通过行

25、为作出承诺的除外。Article 23 An acceptance shall reach the offeror within the time limit prescribed in the offer.Where no time limit is prescribed in the offer, the acceptance shall reach the offeror in accordance with the following provisions:(1) if the offer is made in dialogues, the acceptance shall be ma

26、de immediately unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties;(2) If the offer is made in forms other than a dialogue, the acceptance shall reach the offeror within a reasonable period of time.第二十三条【承诺的期限】承诺应当在要约确定的期限内到达要约人。要约没有确定承诺期限的，承诺应当依照下列规定到达：（一）要约以对话方式作出的，应当即时作出承诺，但当事人另有约定的除外；（二）要约以非对话方式作出的，承诺应当

27、在合理期限内到达。Article 24 Where an offer is made by letter or telegram, the time limit for acceptance shall accrue from the date shown in the letter or from the date on which the telegram is handed in for dispatch. If no such date is shown in the letter, it shall accrue from the postmark date on the envel

28、ope.Where an offer is made by means of instantaneous communication, such as telephone or facsimile,etc. the time limit for acceptance shall accrue from the moment that the offer reaches the offeree.第二十四条【承诺期限的起点】要约以信件或者电报作出的，承诺期限自信件载明的日期或者电报交发之日开始计算。信件未载明日期的，自投寄该信件的邮戳日期开始计算。要约以电话、传真等快速通讯方式作出的，承诺期限自要

29、约到达受要约人时开始计算。Article 25 A contract is established when the acceptance becomes effective.第二十五条【合同成立时间】承诺生效时合同成立。Article 26 An acceptance becomes effective when its notice reaches the offeror. If notice of acceptance is not required, the acceptance shall become effective when an act of acceptance is p

30、erformed in accordance with transaction practices or as required in the offer.Where a contract is concluded in the form of date-telex, the time of arrival of an acceptance shall be governed by the provisions of Paragraph 2, Article 16 of this Law.第二十六条【承诺的生效】承诺通知到达要约人时生效。承诺不需要通知的，根据交易习惯或者要约的要求作出承诺的行

31、为时生效。采用数据电文形式订立合同的，承诺到达的时间适用本法第十六条第二款的规定。Article 27 An acceptance may be withdrawn, but a notice of withdrawal shall reach the offeror before or at the same time when the notice of acceptance reaches the offeror.第二十七条【承诺的撤回】承诺可以撤回。撤回承诺的通知应当在承诺通知到达要约人之前或者与承诺通知同时到达要约人。Article 28 Where an offeree makes an acceptance beyond the time limit for acceptance, the acceptance shall be a new offer except that the offeror promptly informs the offeree of the effectiveness of the said acceptance.第二十八条【新要约】受要约人超过