Chinese Law: Context and Transformation Book

Preface     xv
Acknowledgments     xvii
Abbreviations     xix
Introduction
The Transformation of Chinese Law in Context     1
Structure of the Present Study     3
Legal Culture, State Orthodoxy and the Modernisation of Law
Introduction     5
Legal Culture and Heritage     8
An Overview     8
Confucianism     10
Legalism     14
State Orthodoxy and Practice - the Confucianisation of Law     16
The Legacy of History     19
The Beginning of Modernisation - The Wholesale Westernisation of Chinese Law     23
Constitutional and Political Reform at Gunpoint     23
An Overview of the Reform     25
The Choice of Foreign Model     27
The Persistence of Conservatism     28
The Continuing Reform under the KMT - The Modernisation of Chinese Law     29
An Overview - the Continuity of Reform     29
Guiding Principles - San Min Zhu Yi     30
Between Westernisation and Modernisation of Chinese Law     33
Concluding Remarks     36
Experience of Law in the PRC
Introduction     39
The Pre-PRC Communist Experience of Law     40
The Triumph ofIdeology     44
Legal Experience under Mao's Leadership     46
Legal Experience in Post-Mao China     50
The Need for Law to Institutionalise and Generalise Ad Hoc Policies     50
The Need for 'Rational' Law for a Market Economy     54
Ruling the Country According to Law     62
After Ideology - Continuing Westernisation/Modernisation of Chinese Law     65
Legal Transplant and the Modernisation of Chinese Law     65
Using Foreign Law for Reference     66
Beyond Ideology: Globalisation and 'Rational' Law     70
Beyond Specific Western Models: Harmonisation with International Practice     73
Concluding Remarks     75
Constitutional Law
Introduction     77
A Brief Historical Review     79
Constitutional Monarchy through Transformation v. Republic through Revolution - The Path and Pace of Reform     79
Presidential System v. Cabinet System - The Struggle for the Control of Government Powers     81
Centralism v. Federalism - The Struggle among the Warlords     82
Political Elitism and Party Ideology - The Distorted Version of Chinese Constitutionalism     83
The Search for Socialist Solutions with Chinese Characteristics     85
Constitutional Law in Present-day China      90
Development of the 1982 Constitution     90
Fundamental Principles     96
The Party System     106
People's Congress     112
The State Council     119
The Unitary System and Central-Local Relations     121
Fundamental Rights and Duties     129
Interpretation, Supervision and Enforcement     135
Concluding Remarks     144
Legal Institutions
Introduction     147
An Overview of Legal Institutions in China     148
The People's Courts     150
Hierarchy and Organisation     150
Judges and Other Personnel of the People's Courts     152
Judicial Reforms     155
The People's Procuratorates     158
Other Government Institutions     161
The Legal Profession     162
Legal Education     167
Concluding Remarks     169
Sources of Law and Law-Making
Introduction     171
A Changing Constitutional Framework for Law-Making     174
The Law on Law-Making     177
Substantive Issues     180
Integrity of the Legal System and Unity of Law     180
Questions Relating to Guizhang and Other Normative Documents     191
Role of the Communist Party     195
Supervision     195
Interpretation of Law     198
Procedural Issues     203
Concluding Remarks     205
Administrative Law
Introduction     207
Historical Development of Administrative Law in China     209
Changing Conceptions of Administrative Law in Contemporary China     214
Administrative Decision Making and Reconsideration     223
The Concept of Administrative Acts     223
The Legal Framework     226
Procedural Requirements     228
Internal Review of Administrative Decisions     236
Administrative Supervision     242
Overview     242
Legal Mechanisms for Administrative Supervision     244
Administrative Litigation     246
Overview     246
Scope     247
Inter-relationship between Administrative Reconsideration and Litigation     250
Process     251
The Question of Guizhang     252
A Mixed Result     254
Administrative Liability     255
Overview     255
The Scope     256
The Process      257
Concluding Remarks     259
Criminal Law
Introduction     261
The 1979 Criminal Law and Its Development     262
General Principles     266
An Overview     266
Nullum Crimen, Nulla Poena Sine Lege and the Abolition of Analogy     267
Equality Before the Law and Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought as a Guiding Ideology for Criminal Law     270
Proportionality (Zuixing Xiang Shiying)     272
'White Collar' Crime - 'Unit Criminality' (Danwei Fanzui)     274
Territorial and Extraterritorial Application     279
Crime and Punishment     280
An Overview     280
Counter-Revolutionary Crimes and Crimes against State Security     283
Crimes Endangering Public Security and Social Order     285
Crimes Undermining the Socialist Market Order and Economic Crimes     288
Crimes Endangering Personal Rights and Democratic Rights     290
Dereliction of Duty     291
Crimes Undermining the Interests of National Defence and Military Duties     291
Administrative Sanctions v. Criminal Punishments     292
The Death Penalty     294
Concluding Remarks     297
Criminal Procedure Law
Introduction      299
An Overview of the Major Deficiencies of the CPL     300
Major Changes in the 1996 Revision     302
An Overview     302
Preliminary Detention and 'Shelter and Investigation'     304
The Presumption of Innocence     310
Exemption from Prosecution     313
Right to Counsel     315
The Trial Process     318
Other Revisions     322
Concluding Remarks     322
Civil Law: Development and General Principles
Introduction     327
Historical Heritage of Civil Law in China     327
The Emergence of Modern Civil Law in the PRC     331
A Politico-Economic Context     331
The First Attempt at Codification in the PRC     332
The Second Attempt     333
The Third Attempt     334
Present Status of Civil Codification     336
An Abstract Conceptual Framework on Civil Matters     338
Civil and Commercial Law Institutions     341
Legal Personality     341
Property     356
Civil Law Obligations     357
Concluding Remarks     361
Civil Law: Property
Introduction     363
Property Rights in Traditional China and Modern Property Law under the KMT     364
Socialist Concepts and Conceptions of Property Rights in the PRC     366
An Overview     366
A Politico-Economic Concept of Property Rights     367
The System of Property Rights before the GPCL of 1986     368
The System of Property Rights under the GPCL     372
The New Rights in rem     374
The Making of the Law on Rights in rem     374
The Law on Rights in rem     378
Concluding Remarks     388
Civil Law: Family
Introduction     391
An Overview of the Traditional Family and Society     392
Historical Development of Family Law in Modern China     395
The Pre-1949 Modernisation of Family Law     395
The 1950 Marriage Law     399
The 1980 Marriage Law and Its Recent Reform     401
The Contemporary Legal Framework on Family Matters     408
An Overview     408
Marriage     409
Succession     412
Adoption     415
Family Planning     418
The Law as an Instrument for and in Response to Social Change     421
An Overview     421
Freedom of Marriage and Divorce      422
Extramarital Affairs     430
Property in Marriage and Divorce     437
Domestic Violence     439
Concluding Remarks     440
Civil Law: Contracts
Introduction     443
The Development of Contract Law in the PRC     444
Present Legal Framework on Contracts     450
General Principles of the Contract Law     453
Equality of Parties     453
Freedom of Contract     454
Performance of Contract     457
Breach of Contract and Damages     458
Concluding Remarks     458
Law on Business Entities
Introduction     461
Business Entities in Transition     462
An Overview     462
The 'Individual Households' (Getihu) (the 'Two Households')     466
Private Enterprises (Siying Qiye)     468
Collective Enterprises (Jiti Qiye)     470
State-owned Enterprises (SOEs)     474
Joint Operation (Lianying) & Enterprise Groups (Qiye Jituan)     474
Foreign-invested Enterprises (FIEs)     475
Rural Cooperatives     475
Towards a Modern Enterprise System     477
Individual Sole Investment Enterprises (Sole Proprietorship) (Geren Duzi Qiye)      483
The Partnership Law     484
An Overview     484
The Partnership Enterprise Law     486
Company Law     491
An Overview     491
Structure and Scope of the Company Law     493
Limited Liability Companies     494
Companies Limited by Shares     497
Corporate Governance     499
Concluding Remarks     501
Securities Law
Introduction     503
Early Experiences and Their Politico-Economic Functions     504
The Coming of Age of the Securities Market and Its Regulation     513
Legal Framework     516
Primary National Legislation     517
Secondary Legislation: Administrative Regulations and Rules     519
Institutional Setting     520
Regulatory Authorities     520
Securities Companies     524
Securities Depository and Clearing Organisations     525
Securities Trading Services Organisations     526
Listed Companies     527
Issuing of Securities     528
The Changing System of Share Issuance     528
Types of Shares     530
The Mini Legal Framework     531
Information Disclosure     532
Trading of Securities     532
Special Rules on B-Shares     533
Legal Liabilities for Violations of the Securities Law     534
Concluding Remarks     535
Enterprise Bankruptcy Law
Introduction     537
A Historical Review of Bankruptcy Law in China     538
Current Legal Framework on Bankruptcy     546
Breakthrough, Compromise & Limitations     548
Scope of the Law & Transitional Arrangements for SOEs     548
Administration     553
Bankruptcy Property and Order of Priority     555
Alternatives to Bankruptcy     558
Financial Institutions     562
Cross-Border Bankruptcy     563
Concluding Remarks     563
Intellectual Property Law
Introduction     565
Rapid Development of the IP Market and Legal Framework on Protection     566
Trademarks     573
Legal and Administrative Framework     573
The Trademark System     574
Domain Names     578
Patents     581
Legislative and Administrative Framework     581
The Patent System     583
Layout Design in Integrated Circuits      585
New Varieties of Plants     587
Copyright     589
Legislative and Administrative Framework     589
The Copyright System     592
Audio Video Products     594
Computer Software     596
Computer Network Publications     598
Competition Law & Commercial Secrets     602
Implementation and Enforcement Mechanisms     604
Overview     604
Public Campaigns and Public Awareness     604
Internal Review and Administrative Sanctions     607
Customs Protection     609
Judicial Enforcement - Civil and Criminal Sanctions     612
Concluding Remarks     617
Foreign Trade and Investment Law
Introduction     621
A Process of Gradual Transformation     623
Law on Foreign Trade     626
Evolution of the Legal Regime Governing Foreign Trade     626
The Regulatory Framework     629
General Principles     631
Operational Mechanisms     634
Trade Barriers     635
Direct Foreign Investment     641
The Development of Foreign Investment Law and Policies     641
The Regulatory Framework     643
Equity Joint Ventures (EJVs)     645
Contractual (Co-operative) Joint Ventures (CJVs)     646
Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises (WFOEs)     647
Foreign Investment in the Service Sectors     648
Concluding Remarks     650
Implementation of Law
Introduction     653
Implementation of Law - Its Nature and Complexity     654
Implementation of Law - the Case of IP Protection     656
Enforcement of Law - the Case of 'Zhixing Nan'     661
Enemies Within and Without, Systemic and Institutional     668
Politico-Legal Manoeuvres in the Battlefield     681
Contradictions in Reform and the Missed Target     686
Contradiction One: Politicisation v. Professionalisation     687
Contradiction Two: Judicial Independence v. Economic Fragmentation     688
Contradiction Three: Internal Efforts v. External Constraints     689
Concluding Remarks     690
Conclusion
Chinese Law Transformed     693
Towards a Rule of Law?     694
What's Next?     699
Select Bibliography
Sources of Chinese Law and Documents     703
Academic Works in Chinese     706
Academic Works in English     730
Index      745