General Principles of the Civil__ Law of the Peopl

1GeneralPrinciplesoftheCivilLawofthePeople'sRepublicofChina(AdoptedattheFourthSessionoftheSixthNationalPeople'sCongress,promulgatedbyOrderNo.37ofthePresidentofthePeople'sRepublicofChinaonApril12,1986,andeffectiveasofJanuary1,1987)ContentsChapterIBasicPrinciplesChapterIICitizen(NaturalPerson)Section1CapacityforCivilRightsandCapacityforCivilConductSection2GuardianshipSection3DeclarationsofMissingPersonsandDeathSection4IndividualBusinessesandLeaseholdingFarmHouseholdsSection5IndividualPartnershipChapterIIILegalPersonsSection1GeneralStipulationsSection2EnterpriseasLegalPersonSection3OfficialOrgan,InstitutionandSocialOrganizationasLegalPersonsSection4EconomicAssociationChapterIVCivilJuristicActsandAgencySection1CivilJuristicActsSection2AgencyChapterVCivilRightsSection1PropertyOwnershipandRelatedPropertyRightsSection2Creditors'RightsSection3IntellectualPropertyRightsSection4PersonalRightsChapterVICivilLiabilitySection1GeneralStipulationsSection2CivilLiabilityforBreachofContractSection3CivilLiabilityforInfringementofRightsSection4MethodsofBearingCivilLiabilityChapterVIILimitationofActionChapterVIIIApplicationofLawinCivilRelationswithForeignersChapterIXSupplementaryProvisionsChapterIBasicPrinciplesArticle1ThisLawisformulatedinaccordancewiththeConstitutionandtheactualsituationinourcountry,drawinguponourpracticalexperienceincivilactivities,forthepurposeofprotectingthelawfulcivilrightsandinterestsofcitizensandlegalpersonsandcorrectlyadjustingcivilrelations,soastomeettheneedsofthedevelopingsocialistmodernization.Article2TheCivilLawofthePeople'sRepublicofChinashalladjustpropertyrelationshipsandpersonalrelationshipsbetweencivilsubjectswithequalstatus,thatis,betweencitizens,betweenlegalpersonsandbetweencitizensandlegalpersons.Article3Partiestoacivilactivityshallhaveequalstatus.2Article4Incivilactivities,theprinciplesofvoluntariness,fairness,makingcompensationforequalvalue,honestyandcredibilityshallbeobserved.Article5Thelawfulcivilrightsandinterestsofcitizensandlegalpersonsshallbeprotectedbylaw;noorganizationorindividualmayinfringeuponthem.Article6Civilactivitiesmustbeincompliancewiththelaw;wheretherearenorelevantprovisionsinthelaw,theyshallbeincompliancewithstatepolicies.Article7Civilactivitiesshallhaverespectforsocialethicsandshallnotharmthepublicinterest,underminestateeconomicplansordisruptsocialeconomicorder.Article8ThelawofthePeople'sRepublicofChinashallapplytocivilactivitieswithinthePeople'sRepublicofChina,exceptasotherwisestipulatedbylaw.ThestipulationsofthisLawasregardscitizensshallapplytoforeignersandstatelesspersonswithinthePeople'sRepublicofChina,exceptasotherwisestipulatedbylaw.ChapterIICitizen(NaturalPerson)Section1CapacityforCivilRightsandCapacityforCivilConduct.Article9Acitizenshallhavethecapacityforcivilrightsfrombirthtodeathandshallenjoycivilrightsandassumecivilobligationsinaccordancewiththelaw.Article10Allcitizensareequalasregardstheircapacityforcivilrights.Article11Acitizenaged18orovershallbeanadult.Heshallhavefullcapacityforcivilconduct,mayindependentlyengageincivilactivitiesandshallbecalledapersonwithfullcapacityforcivilconduct.Acitizenwhohasreachedtheageof16butnottheageof18andwhosemainsourceofincomeishisownlabourshallberegardedasapersonwithfullcapacityforcivilconduct.Article12Aminoraged10orovershallbeapersonwithlimitedcapacityforcivilconductandmayengageincivilactivitiesappropriatetohisageandintellect;inothercivilactivities,heshallberepresentedbyhisagentadlitemorparticipatewiththeconsentofhisagentadlitem.Aminorundertheageof10shallbeapersonhavingnocapacityforcivilconductandshallberepresentedincivilactivitiesbyhisagentadlitem.Article13Amentallyillpersonwhoisunabletoaccountforhisownconductshallbeapersonhavingnocapacityforcivilconductandshallberepresentedincivilactivitiesbyhisagentadlitem.Amentallyillpersonwhoisunabletofullyaccountforhisownconductshallbeapersonwithlimitedcapacityforcivilconductandmayengageincivilactivitiesappropriatetohismentalhealth;inothercivilactivities,heshallberepresentedbyhisagentadlitemorparticipatewiththeconsentofhisagentadlitem.Article14Theguardianofapersonwithoutorwithlimitedcapacityforcivilconductshallbehisagentadlitem.Article15Thedomicileofacitizenshallbetheplacewherehisresidenceisregistered;ifhishabitualresidenceisnotthesameashisdomicile,hishabitualresidenceshallberegardedashisdomicile.Section2GuardianshipArticle16Theparentsofaminorshallbehisguardians.Iftheparentsofaminoraredead3orlackthecompetencetobehisguardian,apersonfromthefollowingcategorieswhohasthecompetencetobeaguardianshallactashisguardian:(1)paternalormaternalgrandparent;(2)elderbrotherorsister;or(3)anyothercloselyconnectedrelativeorfriendwillingtobeartheresponsibilityofguardianshipandhavingapprovalfromtheunitsoftheminor'sparentsorfromtheneighbourhoodorvillagecommitteeintheplaceoftheminor'sresidence.Incaseofadisputeoverguardianship,theunitsoftheminor'sparentsortheneighbourhoodorvillagecommitteeintheplaceofhisresidenceshallappointaguardianfromamongtheminor'snearrelatives.Ifdisagreementovertheappointmentleadstoalawsuit