English Version of Chinese Commercial Law

Author: Zhu Yikun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-05
Features: Facing the challenges of economic globalization and technological revolution, China's legal system has been increasingly aligning with international standards. The internationalization of China's legal education is self-evident. The Ministry of Education, guided by the situation, issued the "Opinions on Strengthening the Teaching of Undergraduate Courses in Higher Education and Improving Teaching Quality" in 2001, known as the No. 4 Document of 2001 (hereinafter referred to as "The Opinions"). This document proposed twelve measures to enhance the quality of undergraduate teaching, among which the eighth measure was actively promoting the use of foreign languages, including English, in teaching at domestic higher education institutions, actively creating conditions for the use of foreign languages such as English in public and professional courses. For law and other specialized fields, "The Opinions" explicitly required that foreign language teaching courses should account for 5% to 10% of all courses within three years. To this end, many universities have successively attempted to teach some law courses in English, and many universities have even established international colleges where all courses are taught in English, with "Introduction to Law" or "Basic Principles of Law" being the public compulsory courses for all majors. Law has its own unique conceptual system, which includes many difficult and obscure professional terms. Reading in Chinese alone is already daunting, and teaching and learning in an English context without English textbooks makes it even easier for students to feel lost in a maze. Therefore, the urgency of compiling law textbooks suitable for all-English teaching is self-evident. China’s Commercial Law is an all-English textbook that adopts a reader-friendly writing style aligned with international standards. The book closely follows the logical system of the current commercial law, covering companies, foreign-invested enterprises, securities, bills of exchange, insurance, maritime law, and bankruptcy law, succinctly outlining the basic institutions of China's current commercial law. The selection of materials is well-chosen, the structure is clear, and the main points are prominent, discarding minor details and allowing readers to grasp China's commercial law in a relatively comprehensive and systematic way in a short time. To achieve the goal of simplicity, this book has boldly explored and innovated in terms of its format structure and the presentation of viewpoints. In summary, there are four main points: (1) Each chapter begins with a brief section, particularly tables, that concisely links the extensive legislation into propositions, outlining the overall picture and evolution of the laws and regulations involved in the field, enabling readers to gain a general understanding of the legislative framework and laying a foundation for understanding the subsequent specific institutional arrangements: (2) The main text introduces 23 carefully selected cases to explain the relevant legal systems in a vivid and concise manner, inspiring readers to think deeply and grasp the subtleties, allowing for generalization and extension. (3) It designs and uses 58 charts (51 tables and 7 figures). Legal concepts and rules can be complex and intricate, but through the meticulous organization of tables and graphics, they are simplified and made clear, facilitating horizontal comparisons and research, and helping readers appreciate the subtle differences between different systems. (4) It boldly uses standardized abbreviations, and a dedicated abbreviations index is provided after the table of contents to reduce or eliminate redundant text, saving space and making the book easier to read. As a new undertaking, the publication of this series of textbooks was made possible by the strong support of the Legal Press, particularly Mr. Ding Xiaoxuan, and the of Dr. Gao Jinkang, Dean of the School of Law at Southwest University of Finance and Economics. Although the author has moved beyond the field of industrial economics, Professor Yun Guanping, Professor Huang Suihong, Vice President Hu Jun, and President Zhang Bingshen of Guangdong Financial College, as my mentors and teachers, have continued to provide care and guidance, which I will never forget and be grateful for forever. Discussions with my colleagues at Jinan University, including Dr. Xu Xuan, Dr. Liu Ying, and Dr. Lü Guomin, have benefited me greatly. It is especially worth mentioning that when the book was nearing completion, my computer was struck by a rampant virus, and all the manuscripts were lost in an instant. My two students, Zhang Hongpeng and Yang Shaoxiong, as well as Mr. Mai Yunliang and Mr. Xie Zishu from Guangdong Litigation Law Firm, worked day and night and fought hard to rescue the manuscripts. Otherwise, I might not have been able to bear the consequences. Naturally, all textual responsibilities in the book are mine. New undertakings naturally mean imperfections. The above new attempts in this book must inevitably come with corresponding risks and omissions. If corrections are made by experts, I will be deeply grateful.