Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Foreign Exchange Control Order No.211, 1997 of the State Council (Promulgated by Order No.193 of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China on January 29, 1996and amended in accordance Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 For purposes of strengthening foreign exchange control, maintaining the balance of international payments, and promoting the healthy Article 2 The foreign exchange control authority of the State Council and their branches (hereinafter referred to as the foreign exchange control Article 3 The foreign exchanges mentioned in the present Regulations refer to the following means of payments and assets expressed in foreign (1) Foreign currencies, such as paper money and coins. (2) Foreign currency pay orders, such as bills, bank deposits, and postal savings deposits. (3) Foreign currency negotiable securities, such as government bonds, company bonds, and stocks. (4) Special drawing rights and European Currency Units. And (5) Other foreign exchange assets. Article 4 The present Regulations shall apply to the foreign exchange receipts and payments and business activities of domestic institutions Article 5 The state has no restriction to the current international payment and transfer of foreign exchange. Article 6 The State shall carry out the system of the statistics and reports on international receipts and payments. Any unit and individual Article 7 The circulation and use for quoting prices and settling accounts of foreign currencies shall be prohibited in the People’s Republic Article 8 All units and individuals have the right to report and expose behaviors and activities violating regulations on foreign exchange The units and individuals that have performed meritorious service through accusation and exposure of violation against regulations Chapter II Foreign Exchanges on Current Accounts Article 9 The domestic institutions shall bring home the current account incomes of foreign exchanges instead of depositing them abroad without Article 10 The domestic institutions shall sell the current account incomes of foreign exchanges to designated banks in light of the State Council Article 11 The current expenditures of foreign exchanges of domestic institutions shall be paid with foreign exchanges bought from designated Article 12 The check-off formalities on collection of foreign exchange from exports and payment of foreign exchanges for imports shall be gone Article 13 Individual owners of foreign exchanges can hold the present foreign exchanges by themselves, deposit them in banks, or sell them The principle of voluntary to deposit, freedom to withdraw, payment of interests to deposits, and keeping secret for depositors shall Article 14 The purchase of foreign exchange by individuals for private purposes shall be granted without exceeding the specific limit. Individuals When they come into or go out of China, individuals, who carry foreign exchanges with them, shall go through declaration procedures Article 15 After they have emigrated but income is derived from possession of assets in China, individuals shall remit or carry foreign exchange Article 16 Without approval from the foreign exchange control authority, the foreign exchange pay orders, foreign exchange negotiable securities, Article 17 The legitimate income in RMB of foreign institutions and personnel in China, if it needs to be remitted abroad, shall be granted Article 18 The foreign exchanges of foreign organizations and individuals entering into China received or taken from abroad can be kept by themselves, Chapter III Foreign Exchanges on Capital Account Article 19 The domestic enterprises’ foreign exchange incomes of capital account shall be brought back to the homeland unless otherwise provisioned Article 20 The domestic enterprises’ foreign exchange incomes of capital account shall be deposited into bank accounts, which are opened with Article 21 If a domestic enterprise makes investment in a foreign country, before it applies to competent department for examination and approval, Article 22 The borrowing of foreign loans shall be handled by the government departments approved by the State Council or the financial institutions The borrowing of foreign loans by foreign-funded enterprises shall be reported to the foreign exchange control authority for records. Article 23 If the financial institutions issue the foreign exchange bonds in foreign countries, they shall be approved by the foreign exchange Article 24 Foreign-oriented guarantees can be provided only by financial institutions and enterprises satisfying conditions stipulated by State Article 25 The State shall carry out a foreign debt registration system. The registration of foreign debts shall be carried out by domestic institutions according to State Council rules on the statistics The statistics compiling and monitoring of the whole country’s foreign debts shall be taken charge of by the foreign exchange control Article 26 Foreign-funded enterprises terminated according to law shall be liquidated in accordance with related State regulations. The Renminbi Chapter IV The Foreign Exchange Business of Financial Institutions Article 27 Financial institutions, which can handle the foreign exchange businesses shall be approved by the foreign exchange control authority, Any unit or individual may not handle the foreign exchange businesses without approval of the foreign exchange control authority. Article 28 Financial institutions handling foreign exchange businesses shall open foreign exchange accounts for their clients and handle relevant Article 29 Financial institutions handling foreign exchange businesses shall pay reserve funds for foreign exchange savings deposits according Article 30 Designated Banks of foreign exchange shall use their own funds to handle the settlement of foreign exchange accounts, for Renminbi Proportional management shall be exercised over the foreign exchanges used by designated banks of foreign exchange as working capital, Article 31 Financial institutions handling foreign exchange businesses shall be subject to the examination and supervision of the foreign exchange Financial institutions handling foreign exchange businesses shall submit balance sheets, statements of losses and gains, and other Article 32 Financial institutions, which terminate foreign exchange businesses, shall apply to the foreign exchange control authority. Those Chapter V Exchange Rates of Renminbi And Foreign Exchange Market Article 33 A unitary and well-managed floating exchange rate system that is based on market supply and demand will be carried out to the exchange The People’s Bank of China shall publish the exchange rates of Renminbi against major foreign currencies in accordance with the prices Article 34 Transactions at foreign exchange market shall be subject to the principle of openness, fairness, impartialness, and honesty. Article 35 The currencies and forms of transaction at foreign exchange market shall be stipulated and adjusted by the foreign exchange control Article 36 Designated banks of foreign exchange and other financial institutions designated to handle foreign exchange businesses shall be the Designated banks of exchange and other financial institutions designated to handle foreign exchange businesses shall fix the prices Article 37 The foreign exchange control authority under the State Council shall exercise supervision and management of foreign exchange market Article 38 The People’s Bank of China shall carry out regulation according to law, of foreign exchange market in light of the requirements of Chapter VI Liabilities Article 39 Those who commit one of the following acts of foreign exchange evasion shall be ordered to recall their foreign exchanges within (1) Without authorization, depositing the foreign exchanges in abroad in violating the State provisions. (2) Failing to sell foreign exchanges to designated banks of foreign exchange, as required by State provisions. (3) Remitting or carrying foreign exchanges out of the country in violating the State provisions. (4) Carrying or mailing foreign exchange deposit certificates and foreign exchange negotiable securities out of the country without permission (5) other actions of foreign exchange evasion. Article 40 Those who commit one of the following acts of illegal foreign exchange arbitrage shall be given a warning, forced to exchange the (1) Payment for imports that ought to be paid with foreign exchanges in Renminbi or in barter, or in other similar means in breaking the (2) Payment for the expenditures of a third party in Renminbi, who spent in China, for repayment from this party in foreign exchanges. (3) Investment in China in Renminbi or with materials bought in China by overseas investors without approval of the foreign exchange control (4) Purchase of foreign exchanges with faked, invalid certificates, contracts, bills or other deceptive means from designated banks of (5) Other actions of illegal foreign exchange arbitrage. Article 41 The illegal incomes, which are gained by handling foreign exchange businesses without approval of the foreign exchange control authority, If financial institutions handling foreign exchange business handle foreign exchange businesses beyond their approved scope of businesses, Article 42 If designated banks of foreign exchange fail to handle foreign exchange settlement and sales according to State regulations, they Article 43 If they go against the management of the exchange rates of Renminbi, the management of interest rates of foreign exchange deposits, Article 44 Domestic institutions with one of the following acts of violation against the management of foreign debts shall be warned, criticized (1) Unauthorized handling the loans from foreign counties. (2) Unauthorized issuing the foreign exchange bonds in foreign countries against the State regulations. (3) Unauthorized providing foreign-oriented guarantees against the relevant State regulations. Or (4) Other acts against the management of foreign debts. Article 45 Domestic institutions committing one of the following acts of illegal use of foreign exchanges shall be ordered to make corrections, (1) Pricing and settlement of accounts in domestic in foreign currencies. (2) Using the foreign exchanges as mortgages without approval. (3) Altering the purpose of the use of foreign exchanges without approval. Or (4) Other acts of illegal use of foreign exchanges. Article 46 Those who buy or sell foreign exchanges privately, under disguise, or for profiteering purpose shall be warned and forced to sell Article 47 Domestic institutions, which open foreign exchange bank accounts at home or abroad without authorization and against stipulations Article 48 Domestic institutions, which fabricate, alter, lend, transfer, or repeated use import and export check-off sheets against stipulations Article 49 If a financial institution handling foreign exchange businesses violates stipulations in articles 28 and 30 of the present Regulations, Article 50 The party who has objections against the decision of punishment made by the foreign exchange control authority can apply for reconsideration Article 51 Domestic institutions that violate stipulations on the management of foreign exchanges, besides to be given the punishment according Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions Article 52 For the purposes of the present Regulations: (1) “Domestic institutions ” mean the enterprise and institutional units, State organs, social groups, and armed units within the territory (2) “Designate banks of foreign exchange” mean banks approved to handle businesses of foreign exchange settlement and sale by the foreign (3) “Individuals” mean Chinese citizens and foreigners who have resided within the territory of the People’s Republic of China for one (4) “Foreign representative offices in China” mean foreign diplomatic and consulate organizations resided in China, China offices of international (5) “Foreigners coming into China” mean the permanent residents of foreign representative offices in China, foreigners coming to China (6) “Current accounts” mean items of transactions taking place frequently in international payments, including trade incomes and expenditures, (7) “Capital account” means the increase and decrease of the assets and liabilities arising from the inflow and outflow of capital in Article 53 Rules for the management of foreign exchanges in bonded zones shall be separately constituted by the foreign exchange control authority Article 54 Rules for the management of foreign exchanges in border trade and border free markets shall be separately constituted by the foreign Article 55 The present Regulations shall enter into force as of April 1, 1996. The Interim Regulations of the People’s Republic of China concerning |
The State Council
1997-01-14