国务院颁布外商投资合伙企业管理规定

国务院颁布外商投资合伙企业管理规定2009年12月11日2009年11月25日，国务院颁布《外国企业或者个人在中国境内设立合伙企业管理办法》（“《办法》”），该《办法》将于2010年3月1日起施行。

《办法》作为《中华人民共和国合伙企业法》（“《合伙企业法》”）的配套行政法规，是在其框架内针对外国企业或者个人在中国境内设立的合伙企业（“外商投资合伙企业”）的特别管理规定。

有关外商投资合伙企业的形式、设立的条件、合伙协议、合伙企业财产、合伙事务执行、合伙企业与第三人关系以及入伙、退伙、解散、清算等事项，仍应遵守《合伙企业法》。

根据该《办法》，设立外商投资合伙企业，是指2个以上外国企业或者个人在中国境内设立合伙企业，以及外国企业或者个人与中国的自然人、法人和其他组织在中国境内设立合伙企业。

除了新设外商投资合伙企业以外，外国企业或者个人还可以通过入伙或者受让合伙企业财产份额的方式将中国自然人、法人和其他组织在中国境内设立的合伙企业变更为外商投资合伙企业。

考虑到合伙企业的特点，为了有利于稳定和扩大利用外资，便于外国企业或者个人以设立合伙企业的方式在中国境内投资，《办法》规定，设立外商投资合伙企业只需直接向工商行政管理部门申请登记，而不需要经过一般外商投资必经的商务主管部门审批程序。

但是，为了便于企业登记机关判断拟设立的外商投资合伙企业是否符合有关外商投资的产业政策，《办法》规定申请设立登记时申请人应当向企业登记机关提交的文件中，除《中华人民共和国合伙企业登记管理办法》规定的文件外，还应包括符合外商投资产业政策的说明。

并且，《办法》明确若外商投资合伙企业的设立涉及须经政府核准的投资项目的，依照国家有关规定办理投资项目核准手续。

《办法》并未对以投资为主要业务的外商投资合伙企业（如创业投资企业、私募基金等）做出具体规定。

但是，《办法》在该方面亦留有一定的弹性，明确如果国家对外国企业或者个人在中国境内设立以投资为主要业务的合伙企业另有规定的，依照其规定。

State Council Promulgates Regulations on Administration of Foreign-Invested Partnership EnterprisesDecember 11, 2009On November 25, 2009, State Council promulgated the Administration Measures on Establishment of Partnership Enterprises in China by Foreign Enterprises or Individuals (“Measures”), which will become effective on March 1, 2010. As ancillary administrative regulations to the PRC Partnership Enterprise Law (“Partnership Enterprise Law”), the Measures have been promulgated under the framework of Partnership Enterprise Law to regulate the partnership enterprises established by foreign enterprises or individuals in China (“Foreign-Invested Partnership Enterprise”). These matters with respect to the Foreign-Invested Partnership Enterprises, such as form, qualification requirements, partnership agreement, property of partnership enterprise, execution of partnership work, the relationship between partnership enterprises and third parties, admission of a new partner, withdrawing from partnership,dissolution and liquidation, etc., shall comply with the Partnership Enterprise Law.In accordance with these Measures, the establishment of a Foreign-Invested Partnership Enterprise shall mean that two or more foreign enterprises or individuals establish a partnership enterprise in China, or a foreign enterprise or individual and a Chinese natural person, legal person or other organization establish a partnership in China jointly. In addition the Foreign-Invested Partnership Enterprise newly established from the outset, a domestic partnership enterprise established by Chinese natural persons, legal persons and other organizations may also be changed into a Foreign- Invested Partnership Enterprise by accepting a foreign enterprise or individual as a new partner or transferring property unit of a partnership enterprise to a foreign enterprise or individual.Considering the features of a partnership enterprise and for the purpose of stabilizing and expanding the utilization of foreign investments and facilitating foreign investments through partnership enterprises by foreign investors or individuals, the Measures provide that establishment of a Foreign-Invested Partnership Enterprise shall only be subject to registration with local counterparts of State Administration for Industry and Commerce, other than the examination and approval by the government in charge of commerce as required for general foreign investments. However, in order to determine whether the Foreign-Invested Partnership Enterprises to be established comply with the industry policies for foreign investments, the Measures stipulate that in addition to the documents as required under the PRC Administration Measures on the Registration of Partnership Enterprises, a document containing an explanation on the compliance with industry policies for foreign investment is also required. Moreover, the Measures further provide that it is required to proceed with the examination and approval formalities in accordance with relevant state regulations for establishment of a Foreign-Invested Partnership Enterprise if so required under the applicable laws and regulations.The Measures have no specific stipulations on the Foreign-Invested Partnership Enterprises whose main business is making investment (for instance, venture capital enterprises, private equity funds, etc.) but leave certain flexibility in this regard, providing that if the state has other stipulations on the partnership enterprises established by foreign enterprises or individuals in China whose main business is making investment, these stipulations shall apply.A list and full text of the PRC new laws and regulations are available at our website at/law/index.php. Please contact us if you would like further information.。