中国银行


中国银行关于下发《中国银行自营房地产贷款业务操作规程》的通知
1996年11月4日，中国银行

各省、自治区、直辖市分行，计划单列市、经济特区分行，沈阳市、长春市、哈尔滨市、南京市、武汉市、广州市、成都市、西安市、杭州市、济南、浦东分行：
为进一步加强对房地产信贷业务管理，规范中国银行房地产信贷业务操作，现将《中国银行自营房地产贷款业务操作规程》下发各分行，望遵照执行。在执行过程中，如遇到问题，及时向总行信贷管理部反映。

附：中国银行自营房地产贷款业务操作规程

第一章 总则
第一条 为配合国家住房制度改革，加强对中国银行自营房地产贷款业务的管理，根据中国人民银行《贷款通则》、《商业银行自营住房贷款管理暂行规定》等法规文件，特制订本操作规程。
第二条 中国银行自营房地产贷款业务，系指以本、外币存款作为资金来源自主经营的房地产贷款业务。
第三条 中国银行自营房地产贷款包括：
（一）住房开发贷款，是指对房地产开发企业发放的用于开发建造向市场销售住房的贷款；
（二）商业用房开发贷款，是指对房地产开发企业发放的用于开发建造向市场销售非家庭居住用房的贷款；
（三）其他房地产开发贷款，是指住房开发、商业用房开发以外的房地产开发贷款，如土地开发贷款等；
（四）个人住房贷款，是指对个人发放的用于购买、建造和修缮职工住房的贷款；
（五）其他住房贷款，是指对单位发放的用于购买、建造和修缮职工住房的贷款。
第四条 中国银行自营房地产贷款纳入信贷业务统一管理，各分行承办自营房地产贷款业务须经中国银行总行批准；中国银行自营房地产贷款审批权限，由总行另行规定。

第二章 贷款对象、用途及条件
第五条 贷款对象
下列单位和个人可以成为中国银行自营房地产贷款业务的贷款对象：
（一）经国家房地产开发行业主管部门批准设立，在工商行政管理部门登记注册，并取得《企业法人营业执照》及由行业主管部门核发的《房地产开发企业资质证书》的房地产开发企业；
（二）购买、建造和修缮职工住房的企事业单位；
（三）具有完全民事行为能力的城镇居民。
第六条 贷款用途
住房开发贷款、商业用房开发贷款、其他房地产开发贷款，以补充房地产开发企业为完成计划内土地开发和商品房开发建设任务所需资金为限；对企事业单位及个人发放的住房贷款，主要用于购买、建造和修缮职工住房或自住住房。各项贷款须专款专用，不得挪作其他用途。
第七条 贷款条件
（一）申请住房开发贷款、商业用房开发贷款和其他房地产开发贷款，借款人应具备以下条件：
1．符合本规程第五条规定的贷款对象条件；
2．具有一个遵纪守法、遵守职业道德的领导班子和一套健全的经营管理制度；
3．信用和财务状况良好，确有偿还贷款本息的能力；
4．在中国银行开立基本帐户或一般存款帐户，办理结算业务；
5．已取得项目规划投资许可证、建设许可证、开工许可证（外销房屋还需取得外销房屋许可证），完成其他各项立项手续，且全部立项文件完整、真实、有效；
6．已经取得贷款项目的土地使用权，且土地使用权终止时间不早于贷款终止时间；
7．提供相应的贷款项目开发方案或可行性报告；
8．贷款项目申报用途与其功能相符，并能够有效地满足当地房地产市场的需求；
9．贷款项目工程预算、施工计划符合国家和当地政府的有关规定，工程预算投资总额能够满足项目完工前由于通货膨胀和不可预见等原因追加预算的需要；
10．具有一定比例的自有资金（一般控制在项目预算投资总额的30％），并能够在使用中国银行贷款之前投入项目建设；
11．将财产抵（质）押给中国银行；
12．落实中国银行可接受的还本付息连带信用保证；
13．落实中国银行规定的其他贷款条件。
（二）申请个人住房贷款，借款人应具备以下条件：
1．符合本规程第五条规定的贷款对象条件；
2．信用良好，具有固定职业和稳定收入，确有偿还贷款本息的能力；
3．购买自住住房价格基本符合中国银行或其委托、认可的房地产估价师评估的价值；
4．购买自住住房首期付款不得低于购买住房价格的30％；
5．修建自住住房必须取得所修建住房的土地使用权，其土地使用权终止时间不早于贷款终止时间；
6．修建自住住房贷款项目已经取得当地建设行政部门和城市规划部门的批准；
7．在中国银行的存款余额不低于所修建自住住房投资总额的30％，并先于银行贷款投入住房的修建；
8．将财产抵（质）押给中国银行；
9．落实中国银行可接受的还本付息连带信用保证；
10．落实中国银行规定的其他贷款条件。
（三）企事业单位申请用于购建职工住房的其他住房贷款应符合本条第（一）款第1项和第2项条件以及本条第（二）款除第2项以外的全部条件。
第八条 借款人应向中国银行提交下列文件、证明和材料：
（一）申请住房开发贷款、商业开发贷款和其他房地产开发贷款，借款人应提交：
1．《借款申请书》；
2．资信证明材料；
3．近3年的财务报表；
4．项目立项文件、董事会决议；
5．项目资金落实文件；
6．其他配套条件落实材料；
7．开发项目的现金流量预测表；
8．合法、合规的房地产开发合同、其他有关合同；
9．抵（质）押财产（国库券等有价证券除外）的资产评估报告书、鉴定书、保险单、抵（质）押物品清单、权属证明、抵（质）押人同意抵（质）押的承诺函；
10．还款保证人的资信证明材料；
11．中国银行要求提供的其他证明文件和材料。
（二）申请个人住房贷款，借款人应提交：
1．《借款申请书》；
2．具有法律效力的身份证明材料；
3．具有固定职业、稳定经济收入的证明材料；
4．售房人产权、销售资格证明文件（适用于购买自住住房）；
5．项目立项文件（适用于修建自住住房）；
6．项目资金落实文件（适用于修建自住住房）；
7．其他配套条件落实材料（适用于修建自住住房）；
8．合法、合规的购建住房合同、其他有关合同；
9．抵（质）押财产（国库券等有价证券除外）的资产评估报告书、鉴定书、保险单、抵（质）押物品清单、权属证明、抵（质）押人同意抵（质）押的承诺函；
10．还款保证人的资信证明材料；
11．中国银行要求提供的其他证明文件和材料。
（三）企事业单位为购建职工住房申请贷款，应提交：
1．《借款申请书》；
2．资信证明材料；
3．近3年的财务报表；
4．售房人产权、销售资格证明文件（适用于购买职工住房）；
5．项目立项文件、董事会决议（适用于修建职工住房）；
6．项目资金落实文件（适用于修建职工住房）；
7．其他配套条件落实材料（适用于修建职工住房）；
8．合法、合规的购建住房合同、其他有关合同；
9．抵（质）押财产（国库券等有价证券除外）的资产评估报告书、鉴定书、保险单、抵（质）押物品清单、权属证明、抵（质）押人同意抵（质）押的承诺函；
10．还款保证人的资信证明材料；
11．中国银行要求提供的其他证明文件和材料。

第三章 贷款程序
第九条 借贷双方须严格履行下列程序：
（一）借款人须填写房地产贷款申请书，并向中国银行提交本规定第八条规定的各项文件、证明和材料；
（二）中国银行对借款人的借款申请及所附文件、证明和材料进行审查，审查合格并经过批贷程序后，与借款人签订借款合同；
（三）借贷双方及保证人签订房地产贷款担保、保证合同、抵押合同，并进行抵押担保登记和公证；
（四）提款条件满足后，中国银行方可放款。

第四章 贷款期限与利率
第十条 贷款期限
（一）住房开发贷款，最长不超过3年（含3年）；
（二）商业用房开发贷款，最长不超过5年（含5年）；
（三）其他房地产开发贷款，最长不超过5年（含5年）；
（四）个人住房贷款，一般不超过10年（含10年）；
（五）其他住房贷款，最长不超过10年（含10年）。
第十一条 贷款利率
住房开发贷款、商业用房开发贷款、其他房地产开发贷款、个人住房贷款、其他住房贷款利率，均执行中国人民银行公布的有关贷款利率。

第五章 贷款担保与抵押
第十二条 购买商品住房的借款人，可以用中国银行认可的财产抵（质）押，并按照国家有关规定进行抵（质）押登记。
下列财产不能作为抵（质）押物：
（一）土地所有权；
（二）所有权、使用权不明或者有争议的财产；
（三）不能强制执行或处分的财产；
（四）已经设定抵（质）押的财产；
（五）被依法查封、扣押、监管或者采取其他保全措施或强制措施的财产；
（六）依法不得抵（质）押的财产。
第十三条 用于抵（质）押的财产，需要估价的，必须经过中国银行认可的资产评估部门进行估价，贷款金额不得超过抵（质）押物品价值的70％；以土地使用权抵押的，抵押期限应以土地使用权出让合同规定的使用年限减去已经使用年限后的剩余年限为限。
第十四条 抵（质）押期间，借款人未经中国银行同意，不得转移、变卖或再次抵（质）押已被抵（质）押的财产；用有价证券进行质押的，质押人不得以任何理由挂失。
第十五条 抵（质）押双方应正式签订抵（质）押贷款合同，并详细开列抵（质）押物品清单。自营房地产贷款在借款人提供抵（质）押担保基础上，中国银行认为有必要时，借款人应提供中国银行可接受的第三方连带信用保证。
第十六条 借款人、保证人发生隶属关系、性质、名称等变更时，应提前通知中国银行，并与中国银行签订借款合同修正文本。

第六章 保险
第十七条 借款人须在借款合同签订前按中国银行指定的保险种类到保险公司办理保险。保险期不得短于借款期限，投保金额不得低于贷款本金，并应明确中国银行为该保险的第一受益人。保险单不得有任何有损中国银行权益的限制条件，保险所需一切费用由借款人负担。在保险期间，保险单交中国银行执管。
第十八条 在保险有效期内，借款人不得以任何理由中断或撤销保险，如保险中断，中国银行有权代为投保，一切费用由借款人负担。

第七章 贷款的审批和发放
第十九条 借款人提出借款申请以后，中国银行应按照本规定进行审查、批准和发放贷款。
第二十条 在借款人提供符合申请借款的有关资料后，中国银行应在规定的审查期限内及时答复。借款申请批准后，借款人应及时与中国银行签订借款合同，凡逾期未签订借款合同的，对原借款申请的批准可被撤销或被视为失效。
第二十一条 经中国银行核定同意的用款计划，应作为附件包括在借款合同之中。中国银行必须按照合同和核定的用款计划发放贷款。借款人需要调整用款计划时，应于调整计划前15个工作日提出，经中国银行审查同意后，才能调整用款计划。
第二十二条 借款人如不按借款合同规定用款，应按约定的承担费率向中国银行支付承担费。
第二十三条 中国银行要对房地产贷款项目自有资金进行监督管理。借款人必须按照规定比例及时地将足额自有资金存入中国银行或投入项目前期工程，中国银行按照房地产贷款项目的工程预算和施工计划逐笔监督支付，专款专用，借款人不得挪用。借款人自有资金发生挪用或没有足额到位的，中国银行不予贷款。

第八章 贷款的偿还和收回
第二十四条 借款人须按借款合同规定的还款方式与期限归还贷款本息。
第二十五条 借款人不能按合同规定的期限偿还贷款本金，应当提前向中国银行申请贷款展期。展期申请经中国银行审核批准后，借贷双方应签订展期协议，展期协议经抵（质）押人、保证人书面认可后生效。到期未还且未经展期的贷款，按中国人民银行有关规定，加收利息。
第二十六条 借款人提前归还贷款本息，按中国人民银行有关规定计收利息。
第二十七条 个人住房贷款借款人死亡或经有权部门宣布失踪，借款人财产的合法继承人应继续履行借款人签订的借款合同。
第二十八条 借款人违反借款合同规定的条款，中国银行有权收回部分或全部贷款；对不按合同规定用途使用的贷款部分，按中国人民银行有关规定，加收利息。

第九章 贷款的计划统计和会计核算
第二十九条 中国银行的自营房地产贷款，纳入中国银行信贷计划统一管理，并按规定统计上报。其中：住房开发贷款、商业用房开发贷款、其他房地产开发贷款，纳入中国银行固定资产贷款计划管理；个人住房贷款、其他住房贷款，纳入中国银行流动资金贷款计划管理。
第三十条 中国银行自营住房贷款业务单设科目，单独核算，其经营和损益情况，纳入中国银行会计报表和业务报表。

第十章 其他
第三十一条 中国银行自营房地产贷款抵（质）押物品的评估、登记费和借款合同公证费均由借款人负担；中国银行可以向借款人一次性适当收取质押物品保管费。
第三十二条 中国银行自营房地产贷款的借款合同、保证合同和抵（质）押合同均应包括内容详尽、表述明确的法律条款，包括仲裁条款或司法管辖条款。
第三十三条 中国银行各分行第一次签订自营房地产贷款借款合同文本，须经律师阅核，并报中国银行总行信贷管理部审查认可。
第三十四条 本规则由中国银行总行负责解释修订。各省、自治区、直辖市，计划单列市分行，可根据本规则，结合本地区实际情况制订具体操作细则，并报总行备案。
第三十五条 本规程自下发之日起施行。


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.