Adopted at the 39th Executive Meeting of the State Council on April 19, 1989; promulgated by Decree No. 36 of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China on June 14, 1989
Effective: July 1, 1989
Article 1 — These Provisions are formulated for the purpose of promoting international trade and economic and technological exchanges and strengthening the administration of foreign chambers of commerce.
Article 2 — “Foreign chambers of commerce” refers to non-profit social organizations voluntarily formed by commercial institutions, trade promotion organizations and other economic organizations of foreign countries that are established within the territory of China.
Article 3 — Foreign chambers of commerce shall comply with the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China and shall not impair the national security or public interests of China.
Article 4 — The name of a foreign chamber of commerce shall be prefixed with the name of its home country.
Article 5 — To establish a foreign chamber of commerce, an application shall be submitted to the competent department of the State Council in charge of foreign trade and economic cooperation; upon approval, registration shall be handled in accordance with the provisions of the relevant laws and regulations.
Article 6 — Membership of a foreign chamber of commerce shall be limited to representative offices and branches established within the territory of China in accordance with the law by foreign commercial institutions, trade promotion organizations and other economic organizations, as well as wholly foreign-owned enterprises, Chinese-foreign equity joint ventures and Chinese-foreign contractual joint ventures.
Article 7 — A foreign chamber of commerce shall conduct its activities in accordance with its articles of association, and its activities shall not contravene the provisions of Article 3 of these Provisions.
Article 8 — A foreign chamber of commerce may provide guidance, coordination and services with respect to the activities of its members.
Article 9 — The articles of association, the list of members and the list of principal responsible persons of a foreign chamber of commerce shall be filed with the registration authority for the record.
Article 10 — The funds of a foreign chamber of commerce shall come mainly from membership dues paid by its members.
Article 11 — Where a foreign chamber of commerce changes its name, domicile or principal responsible persons, or amends its articles of association, it shall handle change registration in accordance with the provisions of the relevant laws and regulations.
Article 12 — Where a foreign chamber of commerce is dissolved, it shall handle deregistration in accordance with the provisions of the relevant laws and regulations.
Article 13 — Where the activities of a foreign chamber of commerce contravene these Provisions, the registration authority shall order it to make corrections; where the circumstances are serious, the registration authority shall revoke its registration.
Article 14 — Foreign chambers of commerce established before the implementation of these Provisions shall complete supplementary registration in accordance with these Provisions within six months from the date of implementation of these Provisions.
Article 15 — These Provisions shall take effect as of the date of promulgation.
Disclaimer: This document is an unofficial English translation prepared by Dan Young Business Consultancy for reference and informational purposes only. It is intended to help English-speaking readers understand the subject matter. In the event of any discrepancy between this translation and the original Chinese text, the original Chinese text shall prevail. This translation does not constitute legal advice, and readers should consult qualified legal counsel regarding the application of PRC law to their specific circumstances.
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