Contract Questions 2015
Contract Questions 2015
Readings
Lecture Notes (available on iLearn)
Blazey and Chan 2012 chapters 6 and 7
Contract Law of the PRC Order no. 15 1999
Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court on Issues Concerning the Application of Law in
the Trial of Cases of Disputes over Sales and Purchase Contracts Order no 7. 2012
General Principles of the Civil Law of the PRC Order no. 37 1986
Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China Order no. 59 2012
Class Activity
The class will work together in a forum to answer the following questions
EPISODE FIVE OF THE SHANGHAI STORY
In January 2013 Dr Chan a member of the Healthy Fruit Drinks group has decided to buy
2000 moulds that can be used to contain fruit juice and can go in fridges and be frozen until
transportation. Yao has a factory in Southern China and manufactures the moulds. Dr Chan
sees an advertisement in a local Chinese paper advertising the moulds for sale at the
equivalent of AU$30 each.
QUESTIONS
1.What sort of contract is this under the Contract Law of the PRC and the GPCL?
State the relevant articles.
2. Dr Chan wants the moulds for $20 each.
Dr Chan goes to Yaos factory. After several meetings and much frustration the price is
agreed at $20 per mould and Dr Chan orders 1000 moulds. What information has to be
contained in a written contract and does there have to be consideration? State the relevant
articles.
3. Yao advises Dr Chan that Wei will act as his agent and will continue with the formalities of
the contract. State which law applies and what articles are relevant and state what are
the limitations of the agency agreement?
4. Dr Chan changes his mind about the order and instructs Wei that he only wants 500 moulds
and not 1000. He sends a signed contract Wei and posts it in the mail on 21 August 2015. Yao
in the meant time is very annoyed and on the evening of 21 August emails Dr Chan and says
he wishes to void the contract. Can he do this and what is the effect of this?
5. Healthy Fruit drinks sent an email from Australia to a Chinese company in Shanghai called
Excellent Fruit Drink Machines. The Email was sent on 1 August 2015 and said: Please
quote us price for 3 machines. This was followed by a letter from Excellent Fruit Drink
Machines to Healthy Fruit drinks dated 6 August 2015, and delivered to the Australian office
on 10 August 2015. It said We can supply 3 machines at a cost AU$550 each. Delivery
would be in 3 monthly shipments commencing on 1 August 2015 to your Chinese Factory.
In an Email dated 10 August, and delivered on the same day, from health Fruit Drinks to
Excellent Fruit Drink Machines it said: Your offer to supply 3 machines is accepted. Formal
order follows.
An Order form dated 12 August 2015, and delivered on 17 August 2015, from Healthy Fruit
Drinks ordering 3 machines.
Then Healthy Fruit Drinks decided they only wanted 2 machines and sent an Email dated 14
August to Excellent Fruit Drink Machines which stated: Re machines - reduce order to 2
machines otherwise same terms.
In a letter dated 18 August 2015 and delivered on 22 August from Excellent Fruit Drink
Machines it said: Thank you for your order. We note your acceptance of our terms.
Healthy Fruit Drinks asks Tom their lawyer if there is a concluded contract between
them and Excellent Fruit Drinks and if so, what is its date and what are its terms
(especially quantity, price, and so on)? Tom quotes the relevant sections of the Civil law
and Chinese Contract Law in his reply. Healthy Fruit Drinks asks Tom what happens
in the event the dispute cannot be settled.
6.. Assume Healthy Fruit Drinks and a Pineapple Company enter a contract on 22 August
2015 where Healthy Fruit Drinks agreed to buy 5000 tons of pineapples, at 300 Yuan per
ton. The contract states that all the pineapples must be delivered between 24 August and 26
August 2015. The date of payment it to be 21 August, 2015 by a lump sum payment.
However, on 22 August 2015, the Pineapple Company sends Healthy Fruit Drinks a
formal notice by letter that it would not be able to perform the contract as a result of lack of
sources of pineapples. On 24 August 2015, Healthy Fruit Drinks emailed the Pineapple
Company and requested them to return the payment. In addition, Healthy Fruit Drinks
retained the right of claim for compensation.
They had had previous dealings about a month previously. In July 2015, Healthy Fruit
Drinks owed the Pineapple Company some money, which still remains to be paid. On 25
August 2015, the Pineapple Company deducted the amount owed by Healthy Fruit Drinks
for the payment made for the current transaction and returned the balance to them. Healthy
Fruit Drinks insisted that the total amount for the current dealings should be returned by the
Pineapple Company. On 30 August 2015 the Healthy Fruit Drinks took the case to the
Peoples Court and made a claim for the balance retained by them as well as for damage
caused by their breach of contract.
(a)
(b)
(c)
7. A and B were farmers. A leased some farm lands from his village; B leased a small dam from the
same village. After a heavy rail, Bs dam burst and flooded As farm land. Before the storm,
A and B entered a contract where A agreed to use water from Bs dam and paid a reasonable
amount of money each year. B also agreed in the contract that he would compensate A if the
dam caused any damage to As farm land. After the flood, there was no harvest. A claimed
compensation from B and B refused to pay.
(a)
According to relevant provisions of the Contract Law, who should be liable for As
loss?
(b)
8. Tianjin Food Corporation and an Australian company, Healthy Food Pty Ltd, set up a food
processing joint venture in Tianjin. In the joint venture contract, the Australian company
agreed to transfer a new food processing technology to the joint venture. The Australian
company will use the new technology as part of the capital investment. You are instructed to
draft a technology transfer contract on behalf of Healthy Food Pty Ltd in accordance with the
relevant provisions of the Contract Law.
9. You will need to refer to the Construction Law of the PRC to answer the following
questions.
1. What is required to gain approval from the Chinese government to build a factory?
2. Once approved the Healthy Fruit Drinks group will need to enter into many contracts.
You are to list the various contracts that you think are necessary in order to build the factory.
You are to refer to the relevant legislation in this regard.
3. You will need to discuss how you will proceed with the building and the type of problems
that can occur. You need to consider safety issues, quality control and legal liability. These
issues will be discussed in class.