合伙企业法英文版.doc

Law of the Peoples Republic of China on Partnerships Order of the Peoples Republic of China No.55The Law of the Peoples Republic of China on Partnerships, amended and adopted at the 23rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National Peoples Congress of the Peoples Republic of China on August 27, 2006, is hereby promulgated and shall go into effect as of June 1, 2007.Hu Jintao President of the Peoples Republic of ChinaAugust 27, 2006Law of the Peoples Republic of China on Partnerships（Adopted at the 24th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National Peoples Congress on February 23, 1997 and amended at the 23rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National Peoples Congress on August 27, 2006）ContentsChapter I General ProvisionsChapter II General Partnerships Section 1 Establishment of a PartnershipSection 2 Property of a PartnershipSection 3 Management of Partnership AffairsSection 4 Relationship of a Partnership to a Third PartySection 5 Entering into and Retiring from a PartnershipSection 6 Specialized General PartnershipsChapter III Limited Liability PartnershipsChapter IV Dissolution and Liquidation of a PartnershipChapter V Legal LiabilityChapter VI Supplementary ProvisionsChapter I General ProvisionsArticle 1 This Law is enacted in order to regulate the behavior of partnerships, to protect the lawful rights and interests of partnerships and the partners and creditors therein, to maintain social and economic order, and to promote the development of the socialist market economy.Article 2 For the purposes of this Law, “partnerships” refer to both general partnerships and limited liability partnerships, both of which are established according to this Law by natural persons, legal persons or other organizations within the territory of China.A general partnership is composed of general partners who bear unlimited joint and several liability for the debts of the partnership. Where there are special provisions in this Law on the forms of liability borne by general partners, those provisions shall prevail.A limited liability partnership is composed of general partners and limited partners, with the former bearing unlimited joint and several liability for the debts of the partnership and the latter bearing liability for such debts respectively within the limits of the capital contributions subscribed for.Article 3 A wholly State-owned company, a State-owned enterprise, a listed company, or a public welfare undertaking or public organization shall not become a general partner.Article 4 A partnership agreement shall be lawfully concluded, in written form, on the basis of agreement reached by all the partners through consultation.Article 5 The principles of free will, equality, fairness and good faith shall be observed in concluding a partnership agreement and establishing a partnership.Article 6 The partners of a partnership shall, according to the tax regulations of the State, respectively pay taxes on the partnerships incomes derived from production, business operation and other sources.Article 7 A partnership and its partners shall abide by laws and administrative regulations, observe social and business ethics and shoulder social responsibility.Article 8 The lawful property and rights and interests of a partnership and the partners therein shall be protected by law.Article 9 For the application for establishment of a partnership, such documents as a written application for registration, a partnership agreement and the identity papers of the partners shall be submitted to the enterprise registration authority.Where within the business scope of a partnership there is any item for which approval is required prior to registration of the partnership, as provided for by laws or administrative regulations, such approval shall be obtained according to law and the approval document shall be submitted when applying for registration.Article 10 Where the application materials submitted for registration by an applicant are complete and conform to the statutory form, the enterprise registration authority shall, if it can, grant the registration on the spot and issue a business license.In the absence of what is prescribed in the preceding paragraph, the enterprise registration authority shall, within 20 days from the date it receives an application for registration, decide whether or not to grant registration. If it decides to grant registration, it shall issue a business license; otherwise, it shall give a written reply and state the reasons.Article 11 The date of issuance of the business license to a partnership shall be the date of establishment of the partnership.Before a partnership obtains the business license, no partner therein shall engage in any partnership activities in the name of the partnership.Article 12 Where a partnership intends to set up a branch, it shall apply for registration to the enterprise registration authority at the place where the branch is to be located, in order to obtain a business license.Article 13 Where a registered item of a partnership needs to be altered, the managing partner shall, within 15 days from the date a decision on alteration is made or the cause for alteration arises, apply to the enterprise registration authority for registration of alteration.Chapter II General PartnershipsSection 1 Establishment of a PartnershipArticle 14 For establishment of a partnership, the following conditions shall be met:（1） having two or more partners. If a partner is a natural person, he shall have full capacity for civil conduct;（2） having a written partnership agreement;（3） having capital subscribed for or actually contributed by partners;（4） having a name for the partnership as well as production and business premises; and（5） other conditions provided for by laws and administrative regulations.Article 15 The words “general partnership” shall be clearly indicated in the name of a partnership.Article 16 A partner may make capital contributions in cash or in kind, or in the form of intellectual property rights, land-use right or other property rights, or labor services.Where a partner makes capital contributions in kind or in the form of intellectual property rights, land-use right or other property rights, the value of which needs to be assessed, the value may be determined by all the partners through consultation, or be assessed by a statutory assessment institution authorized by all the partners.Where a partner makes capital contributions in the form of labor services, the method of assessment shall be determined by all the partners through consultation and be clearly stated in the partnership agreement.Article 17 A partner shall fulfill the obligation of capital contributions in compliance with the form, amount and time limit for contribution, as are specified in the partnership agreement.Where capital contributions are made with non-monetary property and, according to the provisions of laws or administrative regulations, formalities for transfer of the said property need to be completed, such formalities shall be completed according to law.Article 18 In a partnership agreement, the following items shall be stated clearly:（1） the name of the partnership and the location of its principal premises for business;（2） the objectives of partnership and the scope of business of the partnership;（3） the names or titles, and domiciles of the partners;（4） the form, amount and time limit for capital contributions to be made by the partners;（5） the way of distributing profits and sharing losses;（6） the management of partnership affairs;（7） the entering into and retiring from the partnership;（8） the method of dispute settlement;（9） the dissolution and liquidation of the partnership; and（10） the liability for breech of agreement.Article 19 A partnership agreement shall become effective after all the partners have signed or affixed their seals to it. A partner shall enjoy rights and undertake liabilities in accordance with the partnership agreement.Amendment and supplement to the partnership agreement shall be subject to agreement reached by all the partners, unless otherwise stipulated in the partnership agreement.For a matter which is not included in the partnership agreement or which is not clearly stated in the agreement, it shall be decided on by the partners through consultation; where consultation fails, it shall be handled according to the provisions of this Law and of other laws or administrative regulations.Section 2 Property of a PartnershipArticle 20 All the capital contributions made by the partners, the incomes derived, and other property lawfully obtained, in the name of the partnership constitute the property of the partnership.Article 21 Prior to liquidation of a partnership, no partner may request to divide the property of the partnership, unless otherwise provided for in this Law.Where, prior to liquidation of a partnership, a partner privately transfers or disposes of the property of the partnership, the partnership shall not set it up against a bona fide third party.Article 22 When a partner intends to assign all or part of his shares of the partnership property to anyone other than the partners therein, he shall obtain consent of all the other partners, unless otherwise stipulated in the partnership agreement.When a partner intends to assign all or part of his shares of the partnership property to another partner, he shall notify the rest of the partners.Article 23 Where a partner assigns his shares of the partnership property to anyone other than the partners therein, the other partners shall, under equal conditions, enjoy first priority in purchasing his shares, unless otherwise stipulated in the partnership agreement.Article 24 When anyone other than the partners lawfully obtains a partners assigned shares of property of a partnership, he shall, upon amendment made to the partnership agreement, become a partner in the partnership, and enjoy the rights and undertake the liabilities in accordance with this Law and the amended partnership agreement.Article 25 Where a partner intends to put his shares of property in a partnership to pledge, he shall obtain consent of all the other partners; without such consent, his act in question shall be invalid and, if losses are caused to a bona fide third party, he shall be liable for the losses according to law.Section 3 Management of Partnership AffairsArticle 26 All partners shall enjoy equal right in the management of partnership affairs.One or more partners may, in accordance with the partnership agreement or through decision by all the partners, be authorized to represent the partnership in its relations with people outside the partnership and to manage partnership affairs.Where a legal person or any other organization manages partnership affairs in the capacity of a partner, it shall send its representative to manage such affairs.Article 27 Where one or more partners are authorized to manage partnership affairs, as provided for in the second paragraph of Article 26 of this Law, no other partners shall manage such affairs.The partners not managing partnership affairs shall have the right to supervise the management of such affairs by the managing partners.Article 28 Where partnership affairs are managed by one or more partners, the managing partner（s） shall, at regular intervals, report to the other partners the state of management and business operations and the financial status of the partnership and the incomes derived from management of partnership affairs shall belong to the partnership and the expenses or losses entailed shall be borne by the partnership.Partners shall have the right to consult such financial data as the accounting books of the partnership in order to become acquainted with the state of business operations and the financial status of the partnership.Article 29 Where partners manage partnership affairs separately, one managing partner may raise objections to the management done by another. In that event, management of the affairs in question shall be suspended. If any dispute arises, a decision on the matter may be made according to the provisions in Article 30 of this Law.Where a partner authorized to manage partnership affairs fails to do it according to the partnership agreement or the decision made by all the partners, the other partners may decide to revoke the authorization.Article 30 Where the partners intend to adopt a resolution on a matter relating to the partnership, the method of vote stipulated in the partnership agreement shall be used. Where no such method is stipulated or clearly stipulated in the partnership agreement, the method whereby one person has one vote and a resolution is adopted by a majority vote of all the partners shall be used.Where this Law provides otherwise with respect to the method of vote for a partnership, such provisions shall prevail.Article 31 Unless otherwise stipulated in the partnership agreement, the following matters relating to a partnership shall be subject to consent of all the partners:（1） alteration of the name of the partnership;（2） alteration of the business scope or the main business premises of the partnership;（3） disposal of the immovables of the partnership;（4） assignment or disposal of the intellectual property rights or other property rights of the partnership;（5） provision of guaranty for another person in the name of the partnership; and（6） appointment of persons other than the partners as managers of the partnership.Article 32 No partner may, by himself or through cooperation with another person, engage in business in competition with the partnership in which he is a partner.No partner may conduct business transactions with the partnership in which he is a partner, unless otherwise stipulated in the partnership agreement or consented by all the partners.No person may engage in any activities that harm the interests of the partnership in which he is a partner.Article 33 The profits or losses of a partnership shall be distributed among or borne by the partners according to the partnership agreement; where such matter is not stipulated or not clearly stipulated in the partnership agreement, it shall be decided on by the partners through consultation; where consultation fails, the profits or losses shall be shared pro rata by all the partners on the basis of their actual capital contributions; where the proportions of the capital contributions made by the partners cannot be determined, the profits or losses shall be equally shared by all of them.A partnership agreement may not stipulate that all the profits are distributed among part of the partners or all the losses are borne by part of the partners.Article 34 A partner may, in conformity with the partnership agreement or the decision by all the partners, increase or reduce his capital contributions to the partnership.Article 35 A manager appointed by a partnership shall fulfill his duties within the scope of power authorized by the partnership.Where a manager appointed by a partnership causes losses to the partnership by performing his duties beyond the scope of power authorized by the partnership, or by intentional acts or through gross negligence in the course of performance of his duties, he shall be liable for the losses according to law.Article 36 A partnership shall establish its financial and accounting systems in accordance with the provisions of laws and administrative regulations.Section 4 Relationship of a Partnership to a Third PartyArticle 37 A partnership may not use restrictions, which it places on the rights of the partners in managing partnership affairs and representing the partnership in its relations with people outside the partnership, against a bona fide third party.Article 38 A partnership shall first pay off its debts with all of its property.Article 39 Where a partnership cannot cover its debts due, the partners shall bear unlimited joint and several liability.Article 40 Where the amount of debts paid off by a partner, due to his unlimited joint and several liability, exceeds the proportion of the losses he should bear as prescribed in the first paragraph of Article 33 of this Law, he shall have the right to claim recovery from the other partners.Article 41 Where a partner happens to owe debts which are unrelated to the partnership, the creditor concerned may not use his claim against the said partner to offset the debts he owes to the partnership, nor may he exercise in subrogation the rights enjoyed by the said partner in the partnership.Article 42 Where a partners personal property is not sufficient to pay off his debts unrelated to the partnership, he may use the proceeds distributed to him by the partnership to clear off his debts; and the creditor, on his part, may, according to law, apply to a peoples court for compulsory execution of the partners share of property in the partnership for the purpose.Before a peoples court puts into compulsory execution of the share of property of a partner, it shall notify all the other partners of the matter, who shall enjoy first priority in purchasing the partners share of property. Where the other partners do not want to purchase such property and object to its assignment to another person, they shall, according to the provisions in Article 51 of this Law, settle accounts with the said partner for his retirement from the partnership or do so by appropriately deducting his share of property in the partnership.Section 5 Entering into and Retiring from a PartnershipArticle 43 To enter into an existing partnership, a person shall have to obtain