ADMINISTRATIVE RECONSIDERATION LAW

    Chapter I General Provisions

    Chapter II Scope of Administrative Reconsideration

    Chapter III Application of Administrative Reconsideration

    Chapter IV Acceptance of Administrative Reconsideration

    Chapter V Decision of Administrative Reconsideration

    Chapter VI Legal Responsibility

    Article 1  This Law is enacted pursuant to the Constitution for the purpose of preventing and correcting any illegal or improper
specific administrative acts, protecting the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, safeguarding
and supervising the exercise of functions and powers by administrative organs in accordance with law.

    Article 2  This Law is applicable to a citizen, legal person or any other organization who considers that his or its lawful rights
and interests have been infringed upon by a specific administrative act, and applies for administrative reconsideration to an administrative
organ which accepts the application for administrative reconsideration, and makes a decision of administrative reconsideration.

    Article 3  Administrative organs performing their duties of administrative reconsideration in accordance with this Law are administrative
reconsideration organs. The offices responsible for legal affairs within administrative reconsideration organs shall handle concrete
matters related to administrative reconsideration and perform the following duties:

    (1) accepting applications for administrative reconsideration;

    (2) taking of evidence from organizations and persons concerned, and consulting files and materials;

    (3) reviewing the legality and appropriateness of any specific administrative acts being applied for administrative
reconsideration, and drawing up decisions of administrative reconsideration;

    (4) handling or forwarding applications for reviewing items listed in Article 7 of this Law;

    (5) putting forward proposals, in accordance with statutory authorities and procedures, on disposing acts
violating the provisions of this Law committed by administrative organs;

    (6) handling affairs responding to action, if deciding to bring a suit in circumstances of refusing to accept
the reconsideration decision;

    (7) other duties prescribed by laws and regulations.

    Article 4  Administrative reconsideration organs shall, when performing duties of administrative reconsideration, follow the principles
of being lawful, fairness, openness, timely, and convenient to peoples, insist on correcting every wrong, and ensuring to implement
laws and regulations correctly.

    Article 6  A citizen, legal person, or any other organization may, in accordance with this Law, file an application for administrative
reconsideration under any one of the following circumstances:

    (1) an administrative sanction, such as warning, fine, confiscation of illegal gains or property, order to
suspend production or business, suspension or rescission of license or permit, administrative attachment, which one refuses to accept;

    (2) a compulsory administrative measure, such as restriction of personal freedom or the sealing up, seizing
or freezing of property, which one refuses to accept;

    (3) an administrative decision of altering, suspending or discharging certificates, such as a license, permit,
credit certificate, credential, which one refuses to accept;

    (4) an administrative decision of confirming ownership or right to use of natural resources, such as land,
mineral resources, rivers, forests, mountains, grasslands, unreclaimed land, beaches, maritime waters, which one refuses to accept;

    (5) infringement upon one’s managerial decision-making power, which, one holds,has been perpetrated by an
administrative organ;

    (6) cases where an administrative organ, which has altered and nullified one’s agricultural contract, is considered
to have infringed upon one’s rights and interests;

    (7) cases where an administrative organ is considered to have illegally raised funds, levied property, apportioned
charge, or demanded the performance of duties;

    (8) cases where an administrative organ is considered to have illegally handled issuing a certificate, such
as a permit, license, credit certificate, or credential, or examining and approving or registering relative items, which one considers
oneself legally qualified to apply for;

    (9) cases where an administrative organ is considered to have failed to perform its statutory duty, according
to law, of protecting one’s rights of the person and of property, and one’s rights to receive education, as one has applied for;

    (10) cases where an administrative organ is considered to have failed to issue a pension, social insurance
money or minimum maintenance fee for living according to law; and

    (11) cases in which other specific administrative acts of an administrative organ are considered to have infringed
upon other lawful rights and interests.

    Article 7  If a citizen, legal person or any other organization considers any of the following provisions, which is the basis of
a specific administrative act of an administrative organ, to be illegal, he or it may, when filing an application for administrative
reconsideration on a specific administrative act, file an application to the administrative reconsideration organ for reviewing the
said provisions:

    (1) provisions of departments under the State Council;

    (2) provisions of local people’s governments at or above the county level and their departments;

    (3) provisions of people’s governments of towns or townships.

    The provisions set forth in the preceding paragraph do not include rules of departments and commissions under
the State Council, and local people’s governments. Review on rules shall be handled according to relevant laws and administrative
regulations.

    Article 8  If an administrative sanction or any other personnel disposition by an administrative organ is refused to accept, appeal
may be made according to the relevant provisions of laws and administrative regulations.

    Article 9  Any citizen, legal person or any other organization, who considers that a specific administrative act has infringed upon
his or its lawful rights and interests, may file an application for administrative reconsideration within 60 days from the day when
he or it knows the specific administrative act, except that the time limit prescribed in laws exceeds 60 days.

    If the time limit prescribed by law is delayed due to force majeure or other special reasons, the time limit
shall be accounted continuously from the day when the obstacle is removed.

    Article 10  Any citizen, legal person or any other organization that files an application for administrative reconsideration in accordance
with this Law is an applicant.

    If a citizen who has the right to apply for administrative reconsideration is deceased, his near relatives
may apply for administrative reconsideration. If a citizen who has the right to apply for administrative reconsideration is incompetent
or with limited capacity for civil conduct, his statutory agent may apply for administrative reconsideration on behalf him. If legal
person, or any other organization, that has the right to apply for administrative reconsideration terminates, the legal person or
any other organization that succeeds to its rights may apply for administrative reconsideration.

    Any other citizen, legal person or any other organization that has an interest in a specific administrative
act, for the administrative reconsideration of which an application has already been filed may, file a request for participation
in the administrative reconsideration as a third party.

    If a citizen, legal person or any other organization refuses to accept a specific administrative act undertaken
by an administrative organ and applies for administrative reconsideration, the said administrative organ that undertook the specific
administrative act is the respondent of the application.

    The applicant and the third party may delegate agent(s) to participate in the administrative reconsideration.

    Article 11  An applicant may apply for administrative reconsideration in written or in oral. If an applicant apply for administrative
reconsideration in oral, the administrative reconsideration organ shall transcribe fundamental facts of the applicant, claims of
the administrative reconsideration, and main facts, grounds and time on which the application for administrative reconsideration
is based.

    Article 12  An applicant, who refuses to accept a specific administrative act of the departments under local people’s governments
at or above the county level may apply for administrative reconsideration to the people’s government at the same level; an applicant
may also apply for administrative reconsideration to the competent authority at the next higher level.

    An applicant, who refuses to accept a specific administrative act of an administrative organ, who carries
out vertical management system, such as Customs, banking, tax collection, foreign exchange control, or by a State security organ,
shall apply for administrative reconsideration to the competent authority at the next higher level.

    Article 13  A citizen, legal person, or any other organization that refuses to accept a specific administrative act of local people’s
governments at various levels shall apply for administrative reconsideration to the local people’s government at the next higher
level.

    An applicant who refuses to accept a specific administrative act of a local people’s government at the county
level, which belongs to a dispatched organ legally established by a people’s government of a province or an autonomous region, shall
apply for administrative reconsideration to the dispatched organ.

    Article 14  A citizen, legal person, or any other organization that refuses to accept a specific administrative act of a department
under the State Council, or the people’s government of a province, an autonomous region, or a municipality directly under the Central
Government, shall apply for administrative reconsideration to the department under the State Council, or the people’s government
of the province, the autonomous region, or the municipality directly under the Central Government that undertook the specific administrative
act. The applicant who refuses to accept the administrative reconsideration decision may bring a suit before a people’s court; or
apply to the State Council for a ruling, and the State Council shall make a final ruling according to the provisions of this Law.

    Article 15  A citizen, legal person, or any other organization, who refuses to accept a specific administrative act of an administrative
organ or an organization, except for the administrative organs prescribed in Articles 12, 13, and 14 of this Law, shall apply for
administrative reconsideration in accordance with the following provisions:

    (1) an applicant, who refuses to accept a specific administrative act of a dispatched organ established by
a local people’s government at or above the county  level, may apply for administrative reconsideration to the people’s
government that established the dispatched organ;

    (2) an applicant, who refuses to accept a specific administrative act of a dispatched organ, established by
departments under governments in accordance with the provisions in laws, regulations or rules, in its own name, shall apply for administrative
reconsideration to the department who established the dispatched organ, or the local people’s government at the same level with the
department;

    (3) an applicant who refuses to accept a specific act of an organization authorized by laws or regulations
shall respectively apply for administrative reconsideration to the local people’s government, the department under a local people’s
government, or the department under the State Council, who is directly in charge of the organization;

    (4) an applicant who refuses to accept a specific act of two or more than two administrative organs in their
common name shall apply for administrative reconsideration to their common administrative organ at a higher level;

    (5) an applicant who refuses to accept a specific act of an abolished administrative organ shall apply for
administrative reconsideration to the administrative organ at the next higher level than the administrative organ that carries on
the exercise of functions and powers of the abolished organ.

    Under one of the circumstances listed in the preceding paragraphs, the applicant may also apply for administrative
reconsideration to the local people’s government, in the locality of the specific administration act, at county level, and the local
people’s government at county level accepting the application shall handle the administrative reconsideration in accordance with
the provisions of Article 18 of this Law.

    Article 16  If a citizen, legal person or any other organization applies for administrative reconsideration, and an administrative
reconsideration organ accepts the application in accordance with laws, or if, in accordance with relevant provisions of laws or regulations,
he or it shall first apply to an administrative reconsideration organ for administrative reconsideration and then bring an administrative
suit before a people’s court, if he or it refuses to accept the reconsideration decision, he or it shall not bring an administrative
suit before a people’s court within the statutory time limit for administrative reconsideration.

    Article 17  An administrative reconsideration organ shall, after receiving an application for administrative reconsideration, examine
the application within five days, and it shall inform the applicant in written if it refuses to accept the application in circumstances
where the application for administrative reconsideration does not comply with the provisions in this Law; it shall inform the applicant
to apply to the relative administrative reconsideration organ if the application, not within the scope of administrative reconsideration
applications acceptable to this organ, comply with the provisions in this Law.

    Except for the provisions in the preceding paragraph, an administrative reconsideration organ shall be considered
to accept the administrative reconsideration application from the day when the office responsible for legal affairs receives the
application.

    Article 18  The people’s government that, according to the provisions prescribed in the second paragraph of Article 15 of this Law,
receives an administrative reconsideration application shall transfer an administrative reconsideration application that, according
to the first paragraph of Article 15 of this Law, shall be accepted by another administrative reconsideration organ to the relative
administrative reconsideration organ and inform the applicant within seven days from the day when it receives the administrative
application. The administrative reconsideration organ that receives the transferred application shall handle it in accordance with
the provisions of Article 17 of this Law.

    Article 19  If, in accordance with relevant laws or regulations, a citizen, legal person or any other organization shall first apply
to an administrative reconsideration organ for administrative reconsideration and then bring a suit before a people’s court, the
administrative reconsideration organ refuses to accept the application or fails to make a decision on the expiration of the time
limit, the applicant may, in accordance with law, bring a suit before a people’s court from the day when he or it receives a written
refusal-of-acceptance decision or within 15 days after the time limit for administrative reconsideration expires.

    Article 20  If a citizen, legal person, or any other organization applies to an administrative reconsideration organ for administrative
reconsideration according to law, and the administrative reconsideration organ refuses to accept the application without due reasons,
administrative organs at the higher level shall order it to accept the application and may also, if necessary, accept the application
directly.

    Article 21  During the time of administrative reconsideration, execution of the specific administrative act shall not be suspended.
Execution of the specific administrative act may be suspended under one of the following circumstances:

    (1) where suspension of execution is deemed necessary by the applied;

    (2) where suspension of execution is deemed necessary by the administrative reconsideration organ;

    (3) where suspension of execution is decided by the administrative reconsideration organ at the request of
the applicant because the administrative reconsideration organ considers the request to be reasonable;  

    Article 22  Administrative reconsideration shall, in principle, examine the application in written. Except for the circumstances where
the applicant makes a require or the office responsible for legal affairs of the administrative reconsideration organ deems it necessary,
the administrative reconsideration organ may investigate facts among the organizations and citizens concerned and listen to the views
of the applicant, the respondent of the application, and the third party.

    Article 23  The office responsible for legal affairs of the administrative reconsideration organ shall send a duplicate of the application
form for administrative reconsideration or a copy of the transcript of the administrative reconsideration application to the respondent
of the application within 7 days from the day of acceptance of the application for administrative reconsideration. The respondent
of the application shall reply in written within 10 days from the day of the receipt of the duplicate of the application form or
the copy of the transcript of acceptance, and provides the evidence, grounds, and other relevant documents, on the basis of which
the specific administrative act has been undertaken.

    The applicant and the third party may consult the reply in written and the evidence, grounds, and other relevant
materials, on the basis of which the specific administrative act has been undertaken, and the administrative reconsideration organ
shall not refuse the requirement except that those involve State secrets, business secrets, or the private affairs of individuals.

    Article 24  In the proceeding of administrative reconsideration, the respondent of the application shall not collect evidence from
the applicant and other organizations or individuals concerned by himself.

    Article 25  Before a decision of administrative reconsideration is made, the applicant who applies for the withdrawal of the application
for administrative reconsideration may withdraw his application after stating grounds, and the administrative reconsideration ceased
in case of the withdrawal of the administrative reconsideration application.

    Article 26  If the applicant applies for reviewing the relevant provisions listed in Article 7 of this Law, along with the application
for administrative reconsideration, and the administrative reconsideration organ has the authority to handle the provisions, the
administrative reconsideration organ shall make a decision in accordance with law within 30 days; if the administrative reconsideration
organ has no authority to handle the provisions, it shall transfer, in accordance with the legal procedures, to the administrative
organ who has the authority to handle them within 7 days. During the period of handling, the specific administrative act shall be
suspended to execute.

    Article 27  In examining a specific administrative act undertaken by the respondent of the application, the administrative reconsideration
organ considers the grounds, on the basis of which the specific administrative act has been undertaken, are illegal, if the administrative
reconsideration organ has the authority to handle them, the organ shall, in accordance with law, handle them within 30 days; if the
administrative reconsideration organ has not authority to handle them, the organ shall transfer the application to the State organ
who has authority to handle them within 7 days according to the legal procedure. During the period of handling, the specific administrative
act shall be suspended to execute.

    Article 28  The office responsible for legal affairs of an administrative reconsideration organ shall examine the specific administrative
act undertaken by the respondent of the application, put forward its opinions and make the decision of administrative reconsideration
after the approval of the responsible persons of the administrative reconsideration organ or the assent after the group discussion,
in accordance with the following provisions:

    (1) if the facts are clearly ascertained by a specific administrative act, the evidence for the act is conclusive,
the application of grounds is correct, the procedure is legal, and the content of the act is proper, the specific administrative
reconsideration act shall be sustained by decision;

    (2) the applied who fails to perform the statutory duties shall be required to perform the duties within a
fixed time by decision;

    (3) if a specific administrative act has been undertaken in one of the following circumstances, the act shall
be annulled, altered, or confirmed as illegal by decision; if the specific administrative act is altered, or confirmed as illegal
by decision, the applied may be ordered to undertake a specific administrative act anew within a fixed time:

        a. ambiguity of essential facts, and inadequacy of evidence;

        b. erroneous application of grounds;

        c. violation of legal procedures;

        d. excess of authority or abuse of powers;

        e. obvious inappropriateness of the specific administrative act.

    (4) if the respondent of the application fails to reply in written, or provide the evidence, grounds, and
other relevant materials for a specific administrative act that has been undertaken, the specific administrative act shall be considered
to have no evidence and grounds and be annulled by decision.

    If an administrative reconsideration organ orders the respondent of the application to undertake a specific
administrative act anew, the respondent of the application must not, based on the same fact and reason, undertake a specific administrative
act identical or essentially identical with the original specific administrative act.

    Article 29  An applicant may put forward the request for administrative compensation along with applying for administrative reconsideration,
and in cases where damages shall be paid in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State Compensation Law, the administrative
reconsideration organ shall make a decision to order the respondent of the application to pay the damages according to law, simultaneous
with a decision to annul or alter the specific administrative act or to confirm the specific administrative act as illegal.

    If in applying for administrative reconsideration, an applicant does not apply for administrative compensation,
an administrative reconsideration organ shall order the respondent of the application to return the property, abolish the measures
of sealing up, seizing, or freezing the property, or compensate the corresponding amount, simultaneous with making a decision to
annul or alter a fine, or to annul a specific administrative act, such as illegally raising funds, confiscating property, levying
property, apportioning charge, and sealing up, seizing, or freezing property.

    Article 30  If a citizen, legal person, or any other organization considers that a specific administrative act of an administrative
organ has infringed upon his or its ownership and right to use, which are acquired according to law, of natural resources, such as
land, mineral resources, rivers, forests, mountains, grasslands, unreclaimed land, beaches, maritime waters, he or it shall first
apply for administrative reconsideration and then bring a suit before a people’s court according to laws if he or it refuses to accept
the administrative reconsideration decision.

    According to the decisions of the State Council or the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities directly under the Central Government to prospect and confirm or adjust administrative divisions into districts,
or to requisition lands, an administrative reconsideration decision, which is made by the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous
regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, to confirm ownership and right to use of natural resources, such
as land, mineral resources, rivers, forests, mountains, grasslands, unreclaimed land, beaches, maritime waters, is a final riling.

    Article 31  An administrative reconsideration organ shall make an administrative reconsideration decision within 60 days from the
day of acceptance of application, except for the circumstances where the time of administrative reconsideration set in laws is shorter
than 60 days. If circumstances are complex, and an administrative reconsideration organ fails to make a decision within the prescribed
time limit, the responsible persons of the administrative reconsideration organ may approve an proper extension of the time limit
within 30 days, and the extension of the time limit shall be informed to the applicant and the respondent of the application.

    An administrative reconsideration organ that makes an administrative reconsideration decision shall draw up
a written administrative reconsideration decision on which the organ shall stamp a seal.

    Once thew written administrative reconsideration decision is served, the decision is instantly legally effective.

    Article 32  The respondent of the application shall perform the administrative reconsideration decision. If the respondent of the
application does not perform or delays performing the administrative reconsideration decision without due reasons, the administrative
reconsideration organ or an relevant administrative organ at higher