Primary law

Laws and Regulations

Official and source-linked legislation, regulations, judicial interpretations, regulatory rules, and comparative statutes for Chinese company-law study.

30 Mainland instruments
22 Rules and interpretations
0 Comparative statutes

regulation Mainland China English summary

Administrative Regulation on the Registration of Market Entities

中华人民共和国市场主体登记管理条例

A unified registration framework for companies and other market entities, covering registered items, procedures, deregistration, and market-exit administration.

Authority
State Council
Citation
State Council Decree; effective 1 March 2022
Date
2022-03-01
law Mainland China Official translation

Civil Code of the People's Republic of China

中华人民共和国民法典

The general private-law framework for legal persons, civil juristic acts, agency, property, contracts, tort liability, and remedies that company-law disputes often rely on.

Authority
National People's Congress
Citation
Adopted 28 May 2020; effective 1 January 2021
Date
2021-01-01
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Code of Corporate Governance for Listed Companies

上市公司治理准则

Updated listed-company governance code addressing shareholders, boards, directors, senior managers, controlling shareholders, actual controllers, information disclosure, internal control, sustainability reporting, and governance improvement.

Authority
China Securities Regulatory Commission
Citation
CSRC Announcement [2025] No. 18; effective 1 January 2026
Date
2026-01-01
law Mainland China English version

Company Law of the People's Republic of China (2023 Revision)

中华人民共和国公司法

The core statute for Chinese companies, covering legal personality, registration, capital, corporate organs, directors' duties, state-invested companies, bonds, accounting, restructuring, dissolution, liquidation, and liability.

Authority
National People's Congress
Citation
Revised 29 December 2023; effective 1 July 2024
Date
2024-07-01
law Mainland China Translation unavailable

Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the People's Republic of China

中华人民共和国企业破产法

The core corporate insolvency statute for bankruptcy liquidation, reorganization, settlement, administrators, creditor meetings, debtor property, and cross-border recognition.

Authority
National People's Congress
Citation
Adopted 27 August 2006; effective 1 June 2007
Date
2007-06-01
law Mainland China Official translation

Foreign Investment Law of the People's Republic of China

中华人民共和国外商投资法

The framework statute for foreign investment access, promotion, protection, information reporting, national treatment, negative lists, and foreign-invested enterprise governance.

Authority
National People's Congress
Citation
Adopted 15 March 2019; effective 1 January 2020
Date
2020-01-01
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Guidelines for Articles of Association of Listed Companies

上市公司章程指引

Model and mandatory guidance for listed-company articles after the 2023 Company Law, including audit committees, shareholder meetings, directors, controllers, independent directors, and governance mechanics.

Authority
China Securities Regulatory Commission
Citation
CSRC Announcement [2025] No. 6; effective 28 March 2025
Date
2025-03-28
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Implementing Rules for the Regulation on the Registration Administration of Market Entities

中华人民共和国市场主体登记管理条例实施细则

Detailed SAMR rules on market-entity registration, filing materials, registration standards, changes, suspension, deregistration, archival management, supervision, and legal responsibility.

Authority
State Administration for Market Regulation
Citation
SAMR Order No. 52; effective 1 March 2022
Date
2022-03-01
law Mainland China Official translation

Law on State-Owned Assets in Enterprises

中华人民共和国企业国有资产法

A statute on state investor functions, state-owned asset transfer, supervision, enterprise restructuring, and duties of personnel involved in state-invested enterprises.

Authority
National People's Congress
Citation
Adopted 28 October 2008; effective 1 May 2009
Date
2009-05-01
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Measures for Foreign Investment Information Reporting

外商投资信息报告办法

Rules requiring foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises to submit initial, change, deregistration, and annual investment information through the registration and enterprise-credit systems.

Authority
Ministry of Commerce and State Administration for Market Regulation
Citation
MOFCOM and SAMR Order No. 2 of 2019; effective 1 January 2020
Date
2020-01-01
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Measures for Security Review of Foreign Investment

外商投资安全审查办法

Rules for national-security review of foreign investments in military, important agriculture, energy, infrastructure, transport, cultural products, information technology, internet products, financial services, and key technologies.

Authority
National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Commerce
Citation
NDRC and MOFCOM Order No. 37 of 2020; effective 18 January 2021
Date
2021-01-18
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Measures for the Administration of Independent Directors of Listed Companies

上市公司独立董事管理办法

Detailed rules on independent director qualifications, independence, nomination, election, duties, special committees, special meetings, supervision, and legal responsibility.

Authority
China Securities Regulatory Commission
Citation
CSRC Order No. 220; effective 4 September 2023
Date
2023-09-04
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Measures for the Administration of Information Disclosure by Listed Companies

上市公司信息披露管理办法

CSRC rules on periodic reports, interim reports, disclosure obligations, directors' and officers' responsibilities, service-provider duties, supervision, and legal liability.

Authority
China Securities Regulatory Commission
Citation
CSRC Order No. 182; effective 1 May 2021
Date
2021-05-01
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Enterprise State-Owned Assets Transactions

企业国有资产交易监督管理办法

Rules governing transfers of enterprise state-owned equity, capital increases, and major asset transfers, including public exchange requirements, approval authority, information disclosure, and supervision.

Authority
State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and Ministry of Finance
Citation
SASAC and MOF Order No. 32; effective 24 June 2016
Date
2016-06-24
judicial interpretation Mainland China Translation unavailable

Minutes of the National Courts Bankruptcy Trial Work Conference

全国法院破产审判工作会议纪要

SPC bankruptcy-trial guidance on market exit, reorganization, administrator practice, creditor protection, enterprise rescue, and judicial coordination.

Authority
Supreme People's Court
Citation
Fa [2018] No. 53
Date
2018-03-04
law Mainland China Official translation

Partnership Enterprise Law of the People's Republic of China

中华人民共和国合伙企业法

The principal statute for general and limited partnerships, useful for contrasting partner liability, partnership property, and governance with company personality and limited shareholder liability.

Authority
National People's Congress
Citation
Revised 27 August 2006; effective 1 June 2007
Date
2007-06-01
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Provisions on Democratic Management of Enterprises

企业民主管理规定

Rules on employee congresses, employee participation, democratic management, factory-affairs disclosure, and employee representative mechanisms across enterprise forms.

Authority
ACFTU, SASAC, Ministry of Supervision, ACFIC, and related authorities
Citation
Zong Gong Fa [2012] No. 12
Date
2012-02-13
regulation Mainland China Translation unavailable

Regulation for Implementing the Foreign Investment Law

中华人民共和国外商投资法实施条例

State Council implementing regulation for foreign-investment promotion, protection, management, negative-list administration, information reporting, policy transparency, and transitional issues.

Authority
State Council
Citation
State Council Order No. 723; effective 1 January 2020
Date
2020-01-01
law Mainland China Official translation

Securities Law of the People's Republic of China

中华人民共和国证券法

The central securities statute for public offerings, trading, disclosure, investor protection, intermediaries, securities exchanges, supervision, and civil liability.

Authority
National People's Congress
Citation
Revised 28 December 2019; effective 1 March 2020
Date
2020-03-01
law Mainland China Official translation

Sole Proprietorship Enterprise Law of the People's Republic of China

中华人民共和国个人独资企业法

Defines the sole proprietorship as a business entity funded by one natural person, with property personally owned by the investor and debts backed by unlimited personal liability.

Authority
National People's Congress
Citation
Adopted 30 August 1999; effective 1 January 2000
Date
2000-01-01
judicial interpretation Mainland China Translation unavailable

SPC Company Law Interpretation II

最高人民法院关于适用《中华人民共和国公司法》若干问题的规定(二)

Judicial rules on company dissolution and liquidation disputes, including deadlock dissolution, liquidation duties, loss of accounting records, and liability of liquidation obligors.

Authority
Supreme People's Court
Citation
2020 amendment
Date
2020-12-29
judicial interpretation Mainland China Translation unavailable

SPC Company Law Interpretation III

最高人民法院关于适用《中华人民共和国公司法》若干问题的规定(三)

Judicial rules on company formation, capital contributions, defective contributions, withdrawal of capital, nominee shareholding, equity transfers involving unpaid contributions, and related creditor remedies.

Authority
Supreme People's Court
Citation
2020 amendment
Date
2020-12-29
judicial interpretation Mainland China English summary

SPC Company Law Interpretation IV

最高人民法院关于适用《中华人民共和国公司法》若干问题的规定(四)

Judicial interpretation focused on company resolutions, shareholder information rights, profit distribution, pre-emption rights, and derivative litigation.

Authority
Supreme People's Court
Citation
Fa Shi [2017] No. 16
Date
2017-09-01
judicial interpretation Mainland China Translation unavailable

SPC Company Law Interpretation V

最高人民法院关于适用《中华人民共和国公司法》若干问题的规定(五)

Judicial rules focused on shareholder protection, including related-party transaction liability, removal of directors, and implementation of profit distribution resolutions.

Authority
Supreme People's Court
Citation
2020 amendment
Date
2020-12-29
judicial interpretation Mainland China Translation unavailable

SPC Provisions on the Temporal Effect of the Company Law

最高人民法院关于适用《中华人民共和国公司法》时间效力的若干规定

Guidance on how courts apply the 2023 Company Law to disputes involving facts, legal acts, or legal relationships that straddle the law's effective date.

Authority
Supreme People's Court
Citation
Fa Shi; effective 1 July 2024
Date
2024-07-01
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

Special Administrative Measures for Foreign Investment Access (Negative List) 2024

外商投资准入特别管理措施(负面清单)(2024年版)

The current national negative list for foreign-investment access, identifying prohibited and restricted sectors and confirming national-treatment management outside listed restrictions.

Authority
National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Commerce
Citation
NDRC and MOFCOM Order No. 23 of 2024; effective 1 November 2024
Date
2024-11-01
rule Mainland China Translation unavailable

State Council General Office Opinion on Reforming the Independent Director System of Listed Companies

国务院办公厅关于上市公司独立董事制度改革的意见

Policy opinion setting the reform agenda for listed-company independent directors, including role positioning, appointment, performance support, supervision, accountability, and coordinated governance.

Authority
State Council General Office
Citation
Guo Ban Fa [2023] No. 9
Date
2023-04-14
regulation Mainland China Translation unavailable

State Council Provisions on Implementing the Registered Capital Registration System Under the Company Law

国务院关于实施《中华人民共和国公司法》注册资本登记管理制度的规定

Implements the 2023 Company Law's registered-capital discipline, including transition rules for pre-existing companies with long contribution periods and SAMR scrutiny of abnormal capital arrangements.

Authority
State Council
Citation
State Council Order No. 784; effective 1 July 2024
Date
2024-07-01
rule Mainland China Official translation

Trial Measures for Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies

境内企业境外发行证券和上市管理试行办法

The filing-based regime for direct and indirect overseas listings by PRC domestic companies, including red-chip structures and post-listing filing obligations.

Authority
China Securities Regulatory Commission
Citation
CSRC rules released 17 February 2023; effective 31 March 2023
Date
2023-03-31