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Partnership - New option for foreign investment in China/李治国

作者:法律资料网 时间:2024-06-26 13:11:30  浏览:8328   来源:法律资料网
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Partnership - New option for foreign investment in China

Zhiguo Li


 A new door to partnership is opened by the Chinese government to the foreign investors under this post-financial turmoil era in order to attract more foreign investment and provide more employment. On November 25, 2009, the State Council of the PRC promulgated the Measures for the Administration on the Establishment of Partnership Business by Foreign Enterprises or Individuals in China adopted at the 77th executive meeting of the State Council on August 19, 2009, which shall come into effect as of March 1, 2010 (“the Foreign Partnership Measures”). The Foreign Partnership Measures is regarded as supplementary to the Partnership Business Law of the People's Republic of China (“the Partnership Law”), article 108 of which provides that the measures for the administration on the establishment of partnership business by foreign enterprises or individuals shall be formulated by the State Council. Therefore the Partnership Law is the basic law for foreign enterprises or individuals (collectively “foreign partners”) to establish the partnership business in China (“foreign partnership”).

 The initial effort to formulate this kind of measures with the authorization of the Partnership Law can be tracked to January 2007 when the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOC), as requested by the Legislative Affair Office of the State Council, promulgated a draft of the Measures for the Administration on the Foreign Funded Partnership Business (“the Draft”) for public consultation. The Draft mostly reflect the intention of the MOC to remain the approval authority for the foreign partnerships as it does in the setup of the other three types of FIEs, such as equity joint venture, contractual joint venture and wholly foreign owned enterprise (i.e., EJV, CJV and WFOE, collectively FIEs). But the final Foreign Partnership Measures kick the MOC and its local branches (“the MOC local branches”) out from the charging authority with the replacement by the local authorized branch of the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC local branch), which is unexpected to but welcome by the professionals and entrepreneurs. This article will do analysis on the Foreign Partnership Measures from four perspectives: foreign partnership models, foreign partners’ qualification, thresholds and registration of the foreign partnership, in aiming to describe a clear foreign partnership roadmap for foreign partners.


Foreign Partnership Models

 Foreign partners can set up the foreign partnership in China in three models: a. with the other foreign partners; b. with the Chinese individuals, legal persons and the other organizations registered and located in Mainland China; c. through participating the existing domestic partnership.

 In the models above, the foreign partners have the option to take the form of general partnership, limited liability partnership or limited partnership stipulated by the Partnership Law, among which the limited liability partnership is only for the professional institutions such as law firms and accounting firms. Comparing with model a and b, model c seems more feasible and time-and-cost saving for the foreign partners. A complete due diligence will be conducted in order to minimize the risk from the operation of the domestic partnership before the participation date of the foreign partners. In consideration of the current administration and nature of the partnerships, lack of credibility and the other elements in China, it will be difficult to get a complete due diligence report satisfied with the foreign partners. Therefore, models a and b are highly recommended. Which model of a or b take needs the consideration and balance of the foreign partners based on their business plan, legal structuring, such as whether foreign partners themselves intend to do the business competing with the foreign partnership and how to exit by transferring the contribution in the partnership, ect., and the thresholds discussed below.

Foreign Partners’ Qualification

 The difference in the expression on the partners from overseas and China should be noted. Foreign partners only include foreign enterprises and individuals. The Chinese partners include Chinese individuals, legal persons and the other organizations. There is no unified legal interpretation on the “enterprise”, though mostly it refers to the profitable organizations. This uncertainty may come from the prudency of the legislator of China on the qualifications of foreign partners. Under article 184 of the Opinions of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues concerning the Implementation of the General Principles of the Civil Law of the People’s Republic of China for Trial (“the Opinions”), this expression of “enterprise” on the foreign partners allow the SAIC local branch more discretion to judge whether the foreign partner is a qualified “enterprise” or not in accordance with the relevant Chinese laws. In this scenario, the foreign partners need to note that they should not fall into the types of entities prescribed in article 3 of the Partnership Law if they aim to be a general partner, which says that wholly state-funded company, state-owned company, listed company, public-welfare-oriented institution or social organization may not become a general partner.

 Regarding the foreign individuals, they must have full capacity for civil conduct in accordance with article 14 of the Partnership Law. The international private law problem will also be involved here. Pursuant to article 180 of the Opinions, the foreign individuals who conduct civil activities in the territory of China, shall be regarded as having full capacity for civil conduct if they have that in accordance with China laws, no matter what their national laws requires for their capacity for civil conduct. Foreign individuals at or above the age of 18 years old are qualified to be the foreign partners if they are not mentally ill.

Thresholds for Foreign Partnership

 Some thresholds, such as the approval by the MOC, imposed on the FIEs are lifted for foreign partnership. This means that the foreign partnership and the domestic partnership will be treated with unified threshold in the aspect of approval, which will definitely reduce the criticism from the international community, but may cause more from the domestic public (including those FIEs). But it does not mean that there will be no thresholds review on foreign partnership.

 Article 3 of the Foreign Partnership Measures lists the general thresholds for the foreign partnerships. The establishment of foreign partnership shall abide by the Partnership Law and the other relevant laws, regulations and rules, and comply with the industrial policies for foreign investment. These general thresholds need to be analyzed together with the reference to the other relevant laws, regulations, rules and policies.

 First, the threshold provided by the Partnership Law is the pre-approval on the business scope. Where the business cope of a foreign partnership contains any item, for example oil distribution, that is subject to approval prior to registration according to laws or regulations, such approval shall be sought in advance and submitted at the time of registration with SAIC local branch. These pre-approvals involve , but not limited to, the Ministry of Land, the Ministry of Transport, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the China Banking Regulatory Commission and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, etc., which depends on the business of the foreign partnership.

 Second, the Provisions on Guiding the Orientation of Foreign Investment (2002) and the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries (revised in 2007) (collectively “foreign investment industrial policies”) set up the industrial threshold for the foreign partnerships, which are the industrial policy basis for the SAIC local branch to review registration application to establish foreign partnership in China. This will obviously increase the working load of the SAIC local branches since they are lack of the experience in this kind of foreign investment industrial policies review. We may also anticipate that there might be different explanation and implementations on the above two documents, which will be the problem faced by those foreign partners who submit the application in the first half year after the Foreign Partnership Measures comes into force on March 1, 2010.

 The third threshold is that the verification is required if the project invested by the foreign partners falls into the scope described in the Provisional Measures Governing Verification of Foreign Invested Projects. The charging authority is the National Development and Reform Commission and its local branches, which depending on the amount of the total investment and the nature of the project.

 It is necessary to note the forth threshold hidden in the important expression in article 3 of the Foreign Partnership Measures, which put the “rules” as the legal basis for the establishment of foreign partnerships. In the legal system of China, it indicates that the State Council authorizes the ministries or departments under the State Council (“the Ministries”) to issue necessary “rules” applicable to foreign partnerships. It also reflects that the existing valid “rules” issued by the Ministries, including those applicable to the representative offices opened by foreign law firms in China, are still the barrier for the foreign partners to access the local market in China.

 The final threshold comes from the commitment of China in its WTO accession. Although the State Council encourages those foreign partners who have advanced technology and management experience to establish foreign partnership in China with the purpose to facilitate the development of the modern service industry, at this stage, the services industries may only limited to those listed in the Schedule of Specific Commitments on Services (Annex 9 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People’s Republic of China) and the openness will not be wider than the commitments therein.

Registration of the Foreign Partnership

 In the FIEs regime, all investments by foreign investors need the pre-approvals of the MOC or MOC local branches. In the approval process, the MOC or MOC local branches will review, but not limited to, the content of the application, the article of associations of FIEs and contracts signed by the parties if any. Generally, this approval procedure will take 5 working days to 90 working days depending on the nature and total investment of the project. In this regard, the cancel of this approval for the foreign partnership will significantly escalate the speed of the establishment in the procedural stage and to a great extent reduce the uncertainty from the MOC or MOC local branches.

 The Foreign Partnership Measures stipulates that the representative or agent of all the partners shall submit the establishment application only to the SAIC local branch and not the SAIC. The submission shall include, besides the documents required by the Regulations on the Administration of Registration of Partnership Business (revised in 2007, “Partnership Registration Regulation”), the explanation on compliance of the foreign partnership with the foreign investment industrial policies, which will ease the review by the SAIC local branch. In this regard, the review may not be limited to the formality as provided in article 16 of Partnership Registration Regulation. It seems impossible for the SAIC local branch to issue the license to the foreign partnership on the spot. In this scenario, the SAIC local branch shall make a decision on whether to issue the license to the foreign partnership within 20 working days after the date it accepts the complete application.

 The Foreign Partnership Measures is the second case for MOC and MOC local branches to lose approval authority in the recent years. The first case is for the representative office opened by most of foreign enterprises in China since 2004. Although the loss of approval authority, the MOC local branches at the same level with the SAIC local branches accepting the application for establishment of foreign partnership shall be advised the registration information (including the establishment, alteration and cancel) of the foreign partnerships by the latter.

Conclusion

 For those foreign partners not interested in establishing professional foreign partnerships such as law firms in China, they are now can access the Chinese market with a presence in the option of partnership. The approval procedures involved with the MOC or its local branches as set up for FIEs has been removed. The minimum investment (registered capital) requirement for FIEs has been reduced to RMB30,000 (RMB100,000 for one-person limited liability company) by the Company Law of the People's Republic of China (revised in 2005), the Foreign Partnership Measures leave the minimum investment open to the partners. The foreign partners can contribute with the currency (freely exchanged foreign currency or legally earned RMB), in kind, IPR, land use right, the other properties or labor service (limited to general partners) to the foreign partnerships. All these will minimize the cost for foreign partners to achieve their goal of profit maximization in China. But those enterprises focusing on the investment business, such as the foreign-funded venture capital investment enterprises and foreign-funded investment companies, are excluded from the Foreign Partnership Measures due to lack of experience in administrating this kind of enterprises by the government.

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吉林省文艺演出管理规定

吉林省人民政府


吉林省文艺演出管理规定

吉政发〔1983〕245号



为了加强对文艺演出的管理,树立良好的演出风气,防止和克服资产阶级自由化与艺术表演商品化的倾向,使文化演出在繁荣社会主义艺术事业,活跃人民群众文化生活,建设社会主义精神文明中发挥积极作用,根据中央有关文件的精神,结合我省具体情况,特作如下规定:
一、文艺演出必须坚持为人民服务、为社会主义服务的方针,认真贯彻执行“百花齐放、百家争鸣”的方针和党的各项文艺政策,有利于坚持四项基本原则,有利于社会主义精神文明建设。对于符合上述精神的文艺演出活动,各级文化主管部门应给予支持,积极为演出活动提供和创造
各种必要的条件。
二、本省的文艺演出,由各级文化主管部门统一管理。未经县以上文化主管部门批准,任何单位或个人不得组织营业性文艺演出。对于违背四项基本原则,宣扬色情、淫秽、恐怖,散布封建迷信思想以及摧残演员身心健康的演出,各地文化主管部门要坚决制止。对于不听劝阻或无理取
闹者,可责令其停止演出,直至依法追究刑事责任。
组建专业性艺术表演团体必须经省文化厅批准。
三、提倡和支持艺术表演团体深入农村、厂矿为群众演出,或在地区间进行交流演出。
省直属和市、地、州直属剧团在省内上山下乡或交流演出,分别由省、市、地、州文化主管部门批准并出具介绍信,由演出单位与有关部门协商安排。
县属剧团一般应立足本县,面向农村。如需到邻县或外地区进行交流演出,由所在地、县文化主管部门与有关地、县协商安排。
四、本省各级艺术表演团体(包括艺术院校)或专业艺术人员出省演出,必须经省文化厅批准,由省演出公司开具介绍信。演出节目要经当地文化主管部门审查,必要时须经省文化厅审查。
中直艺术表演团体(包括国家机关各部委、群众团体、部队所属艺术表演团体)和各省、市、自治区艺术表演团体或专业艺术人员,按巡回演出计划来我省演出,各级文化主管部门应积极配合,协助完成演出任务。上述单位来我省进行计划外的营业性演出,需持有文化部或所在省、市
、自治区文化主管部门的介绍信,并经我省文化厅同意。
五、全省城镇的剧场、影剧院、以及俱乐部、文化宫、文化馆、体育馆(场)、公园等场所,必须经当地文化主管部门批准后,方可对外开放,安排营业性演出活动。
剧场、影剧院等各种演出场所,应认真贯彻执行党和国家的有关方针、政策、法令,不断改进经营管理,提高服务质量,切实做好治安保卫、消防安全、清洁卫生等工作,并主动加强与公安部门的联系,共同维护好公共秩序。
各演出场所要对上演的剧(节)目负责,对上演粗制滥制和低级庸俗节目的演出团体,应拒绝提供演出场地。
各种演出场所,不得擅自安排未经文化主管部门同意并开具介绍信的文艺演出,违者要追究其主要领导人的责任,情节严重者应令其停业整顿,并给予经济制裁。
六、文化主管部门要同物价部门一起加强对文艺演出票价的管理。省内各艺术表演团体的演出票价,暂按原省文化厅《关于调整专业剧团演出票价的通知》(吉文发〔1978〕38号文件)执行。中直和外省艺术表演团体及专业艺术人员来我省演出的票价标准,可根据演出阵容、节
目质量及剧场条件,实行“按质论价”、“优质优价”的原则,由演出团体和剧场双方协商后,报请当地文化主管部门批准。
对违反规定随意提高或压低演出票价,以及假借各种名义抬高票价欺骗观众者,由文化主管部门会同有关部门给予罚款直至没收全部收入等经济制裁,并追究直接责任者及领导人的责任。
七、各种演出场所和演出团体的收入分成比例,根据设备条件和座席数量划分为如下几个标准:座席在二千人以上的,可视演出设备条件不同,分别以35:65或30:70分成;座席在一千到二千人之间,演出设备条件较好的可按30:70分成;座席在一千人以下的按25:7
5分成;演出设备简陋的按20:80分成。广告费及去车站接送演员和运输道具的费用,按分成比例提。
各演出团体、剧场及其它演出场所应严格遵守和执行财务管理制度,不得擅立名目,坐支现金,隐瞒私分,违者要追究责任。
八、本省各级专业剧团经主管部门同意在省内进行的交流演出,一律免收管理费。省外剧团来我省进行营业性演出,凡未列入年度巡回演出计划的,当地文化主管部门可按剧团收入的百分之五收取管理费。
巡回演出原则上不搞招待演出,首场演出可发部分工作票,请宣传、文化主管部门及新闻单位等有关人员观看。其余每场演出,剧团、演出场地和接待单位各留五至十张工作票。
九、要加强对演出广告的管理。文艺演出的广告,一定要同节目内容和演员阵容相符,不得弄虚作假,欺骗观众。外地艺术表演团体来省内演出的广告,须经当地文化主管部门审查同意并出具介绍信,方可到报社、广播电台、电视台联系刊登和播发。
十、各地文化主管部门对于未经批准和未征得演职人员所在单位同意,私自拼凑或组织演出团体进行的营业性演出,应予制止。对违反者要进行批评教育,追回私分的钱财。对于用招摇撞骗方法欺骗观众的,要给予必要的行政处分和经济制裁。对私自外出搭班演出并接受报酬的演员,
其所在单位可视情节轻重和本人态度,进行批评教育或给予行政处分。
非演出单位,确因工作需要,临时组织营业性演出时,必须征得文化主管部门和演员所在单位同意,对演出节目要负责进行检查,保证演出质量。要注意保护演员健康,不能随意增加演出场次。演出收入要合理分配,不得从中赚钱。给演员的报酬,要交其所在单位按规定处理。
十一、各级文化主管部门要重视和加强对个体演出人员和民间职业艺人的管理。个体演出人员原则上应在批准范围内活动,未经省演出公司同意,不得出省演出。
各种民间艺人和个体演出人员,必须持有县以上文化主管部门发给的演出许可证,方可进行营业性演出。
任何文艺团体、个体艺人及其他人员,未经许可,禁止在市区街道、胡同、广场进行卖艺活动。
对民间职业艺人,文艺专业户(包括二人转、书曲等)上演的剧目,各地文化馆、站应认真负责审查,民间职业艺人如进城镇演出,必须经当地文化主管部门批准,由各地演出公司统一安排和管理。无证演出者,要对其进行批评教育或给以经济制裁,直至没收其演出收入和器具。
十二、本规定自发布之日起生效。
注:规定中第六条省内各艺术团体演出票价的问题,与现实政策不符,执行中应按照“优质优价、按质论价”的原则处理。



1983年10月18日

重庆市人民代表大会常务委员会关于黔江区享受有关民族优惠政策的决定

重庆市人大常委会


重庆市人民代表大会常务委员会关于黔江区享受有关民族优惠政策的决定
(2004年9月27日重庆市第二届人民代表大会常务委员会第十二次会议通过)


黔江区系少数民族聚居区,为促进黔江区经济社会的全面发展,市人大常委会决定,黔江区享受本市规定的有关民族优惠政策。

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