CONTRACT LAW OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (Adopted and Promulgated by the Second Session of the Ninth National People's Congress on March 15, 1999 )Chapter One General ProvisionsArticle 1 PurposeThis Law is formulated in order to protect the lawful rights and interests of contract parties, to safeguard social and economic order, and to promote socialist modernization.Article 2 Definition of Contract; ExclusionsFor purposes of this Law, a contract is an agreement between natural persons, legal persons or other organizations with equal standing, for the purpose of establishing, altering, or discharging a relationship of civil rights and obligations.An agreement concerning any personal relationship such as marriage, adoption, guardianship, etc. shall be governed by other applicable laws. Article 3 Equal Standing of PartiesContract parties enjoy equal legal standing and neither party may impose its will on the other party. Article 4 Right to Enter into Contract VoluntarilyA party is entitled to enter into a contract voluntarily under the law, and no entity or individual may unlawfully interfere with such right. Article 5 FairnessThe parties shall abide by the principle of fairness in prescribing their respective rights and obligations. Article 6 Good FaithThe parties shall abide by the principle of good faith in exercising their rights and performing their obligations. Article 7 LegalityIn concluding or performing a contract, the parties shall abide by the relevant laws and administrative regulations, as well as observe social ethics, and may not disrupt social and economic order or harm the public interests. Article 8 Binding Effect; Legal ProtectionA lawfully formed contract is legally binding on the parties. The parties shall perform their respective obligations in accordance with the contract, and neither party may arbitrarily amend or terminate the contract.A lawfully formed contract is protected by law.
