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11 June 2025

涉外诉讼管辖权冲突新指引 New Guideline On Conflicts Of Jurisdiction In Foreign-Related Litigation

JT
Jincheng Tongda & Neal

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Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Beijing, Beijing Jincheng Tongda & Neal Law Firm is one of the first partnership law firms in China. So far, JT&M has successively carried out key layouts in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Greater Bay Area, Bohai Rim, Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and other national economic development strategic regions, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hefei, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Shenyang, Jinan, Dalian, Zhengzhou and other offices, as well as offices in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Japan, Singapore and other offices. Since 2000, it has been rated as "Ministerial-level Civilized Law Firm" and "National Excellent Law Firm" for many times; JT&D has gathered many interdisciplinary experts and has become a leader in the industry in many fields, and has won a number of awards from well-known legal rating agencies such as Chambers and ALB.

The conflict of laws is a critical subject in foreign-related civil and commercial litigation. If not appropriately resolved, jurisdictional conflicts may give rise to parallel and duplicative litigation across borders...
China Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

管辖权冲突是涉外民商事诉讼面临的重大课题。涉外纠纷中的管辖权冲突会带来跨境间平行诉讼、重复诉讼等问题,直接关乎当事人切身利益。本次修订《民事诉讼法》的一大亮点是推进国内法治和涉外法治的决策部署,进一步明确跨境诉讼管辖权冲突规则,意义重大。

The conflict of laws is a critical subject in foreign-related civil and commercial litigation. If not appropriately resolved, jurisdictional conflicts may give rise to parallel and duplicative litigation across borders, directly affecting the litigants' core interests. One of the highlights in the amendment to the Civil Procedure Law (the "2023 amendment") is to advance the rule of law in domestic and foreign-related affairs in an integrated manner. The 2023 amendment helps to clarify the rules on jurisdictional conflicts in cross-border litigation.

规则指引

Rules on the conflict of laws

在本次《民事诉讼法》修订之前,对于涉外民商事诉讼管辖权冲突规则散见于司法解释、司法文件之中。本次修订整合了之前的规定,对管辖权冲突作出清晰指引。

Before the 2023 amendment, the rules on the conflict of laws in foreign-related litigation were scattered in various judicial interpretations and documents. The 2023 amendment consolidates the previous provisions and provides clearer guidelines on jurisdictional conflicts.

明确发起平行诉讼的权利。是否启动平行诉讼,是当事人基于具体情况的自身选择,应当予以尊重。本次《民事诉讼法》修订明确,当事人之间的同一纠纷,一方当事人向外国法院起诉,另一方当事人向中国内地法院起诉,或者一方当事人既向外国法院起诉,又向中国法院起诉,中国法院可以受理。

Right to initiate parallel proceedings. The decision to initiate parallel proceedings is a choice made by the parties themselves based on their specific circumstances and should be respected. The 2023 amendment clarifies that if one party files a lawsuit before a foreign court while the other party files a lawsuit before a Chinese court for the same dispute, or if a party files a lawsuit before both a foreign court and a Chinese court, the Chinese court with jurisdiction (as determined under the Chinese Civil Procedure Law) may accept jurisdiction over the dispute.

明确排他性管辖协议效力。排他性管辖协议是指当事人合意约定某国法院有管辖权的同时排除他国法院的管辖。排他性管辖协议能够有效地解决国际平行诉讼,提高争议解决效率。新《民事诉讼法》对不违反法律专属管辖规定,不涉及中华人民共和国主权、安全或者社会公共利益的排他性管辖协议予以充分尊重。司法实践中,以《全国法院涉外商事海事审判工作座谈会会议纪要》为代表,中国不仅规定了排他性管辖协议的推定原则,还明确了非对称管辖协议的效力。

Validity of exclusive jurisdiction agreements. Under an exclusive jurisdiction agreement, the parties agree that a particular court is to have jurisdiction over the case, while simultaneously excluding the jurisdiction of other courts. Such agreements serve to minimize the risk of parallel litigation, and can improve the efficiency of dispute resolution. The 2023 amendment specifically accepts exclusive jurisdiction agreements that do not involve the sovereignty, security or public interests of China as a reason for Chinese courts to decline jurisdiction over a dispute. In judicial practice, China has not only stipulated that the presumptive principle will apply to exclusive jurisdiction agreements, but has also determined the validity of asymmetric jurisdiction agreements. This is evident from the Minutes of the National Symposium on the Foreign-related Commercial and Maritime Trial Work of Courts.

明确管辖冲突的基本处理原则。跨境间平行诉讼如何协调国内外诉讼程序是各国均面临的挑战。新《民事诉讼法》以受理先后为节点,进行了区分处理。对于中国法院受理在先的,自然以中国法院为主。对于中国法院受理在后的,如当事人以外国法院已经先于中国法院受理为由,书面申请中国法院中止诉讼,中国法院可以视情况中止处理。

Basic Principles for the Resolution of Jurisdictional Conflicts. The harmonisation of domestic and foreign proceedings in cross-border parallel litigation is a common challenge faced by most countries. The 2023 amendment deals with cases relatively distinctively, according to the acceptance time. For cases that a Chinese court has accept jurisdiction over in advance, the Chinese court will exercise its jurisdiction. On the other hand, where a litigant applies to the Chinese court in writing for a stay of proceedings on the ground that a foreign court has accepted jurisdiction over the case, the Chinese court may grant a stay, depending on the specific facts.

明确特殊情况下的具体处理规则。在以受理先后为节点的基本原则下,如果当事人协议选择中国法院管辖、纠纷属于中国法院专属管辖、由中国法院审理明显更为方便,则国内诉讼不予中止。考虑到中止诉讼必然影响中国法院诉讼进程,因此在外国法院未采取必要措施审理案件,或者未在合理期限内审结的,经当事人提出书面申请,中国法院应当恢复诉讼。

Exceptions to the Basic Principles. As an exception to the above-mentioned principle, if the litigants have agreed to have their dispute heard by a Chinese court, or the dispute falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of a Chinese court, or it is evidently more convenient for a Chinese court to try the case, then a Chinese court may decline to grant a stay of the Chinese proceedings, notwithstanding the existence of competing foreign proceedings. Moreover, given that a stay will undoubtedly affect domestic proceedings, if a foreign court does not adopt the requisite measures to determine the case within a reasonable period, the Chinese court is empowered to lift a stay on (domestic) litigation upon a written application by a litigant.

此外,当事人申请承认和执行外国法院裁判,所涉争议与中国法院正在审理的案件属于同一纠纷的,中国法院可以中止审理。中国法院裁定承认外国法院裁判的,则驳回当事人对同一纠纷的起诉;裁定不予承认和执行,则恢复已经中止的诉讼。

In addition, where a litigant applies to a Chinese court for recognition and enforcement of a judgment or ruling made by a foreign court, and the subject matter of the dispute addressed in the said judgment or ruling is the same as that which is disputed in proceedings before a Chinese court, the Chinese court may  stay the domestic proceedings. If the said judgment or ruling made by a

foreign court is recognised by the Chinese court, the Chinese court will dismiss  any domestic proceedings on the identical subject matter. If the Chinese court declines to grant recognition of a foreign judgment, any stays over related domestic proceedings will be lifted.

明确不方便管辖原则及救济措施。本次《民事诉讼法》修订,将此前司法解释中的"不方便管辖"规则上升为法律条文。对于具备法定情形,中国法院审理案件和当事人参加诉讼明显不便的案件,适度礼让由他国法院行使管辖权。对于不方便管辖的案件,法院应裁定驳回起诉,并告知原告向更为方便的外国法院提起诉讼。同时,考虑到当事人利益的周全保护,增设了救济条款,即裁定驳回起诉后,外国法院对纠纷拒绝行使管辖权,或者未采取必要措施审理案件,或者未在合理期限内审结,当事人又向中国法院起诉的,中国法院应当受理。

The Doctrine of forum non conveniens and Remedies. The 2023 amendment elevates the doctrine of forum non conveniens in previous judicial interpretations to an express legal provision. For cases that comply with statutory circumstances and are clearly inappropriate / inconvenient for a Chinese court to try, a Chinese court should exercise judicial comity towards foreign courts. If a Chinese court finds it inappropriate / inconvenient to try the case, it decline to exercise jurisdiction over the proceedings and notify the plaintiff to file a lawsuit before the courts of the forum conveniens. Meanwhile, for the comprehensive protection of the litigants' interests, the 2023 amendment also adds remedies for forum non conveniens. Where, despite being the forum conveniens, a foreign court refuses to exercise jurisdiction over a dispute, or does not adopt the requisite measures to try the case within a reasonable period, the Chinese courts may accept jurisdiction over the matter.

意见建议

Views and Advice on Cross-Border Disputes

了解工具箱,熟悉涉外诉讼管辖权规则。本次《民事诉讼法》的修订,完善了对涉外民商事案件的管辖规则,包括扩展涉外管辖范围、新增协议管辖条款、新增两类专属管辖的情形等。因此,企业应充分了解新《民事诉讼法》提供的宝贵"工具箱",熟悉涉外诉讼管辖权规则,有效维护自身合法权益。

Be Fully Aware of the "Toolbox" and Rules on Jurisdiction. The 2023 amendment sets out clear jurisdictional rules for foreign-related civil and commercial litigation. It provides for, inter alia , rules governing jurisdiction agreement clauses, and two new categories of situations for exclusive jurisdiction. Therefore, to effectively safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, corporations are advised to be fully aware of the "toolbox" provided for in the 2023 amendment, as well as rules of jurisdiction in foreign-related litigation.

下好先手棋,做好跨境纠纷管辖权协议安排。国际社会普遍认可当事人对跨境纠纷的管辖权协议安排。因此,企业应充分利用自身优势,通过排他性管辖协议、非对称管辖协议等协议安排,未雨绸缪,下好先手棋,取得跨境争议解决的先发优势。

Agree the Governing Jurisdiction for Cross-Border Disputes. It is widely acknowledged among the international community that parties can make arrangements for agreement on jurisdiction. Corporations are encouraged to fully utilise this ability and pre-emptively arrange for exclusive and / or asymmetric jurisdiction agreements in cross-border disputes.

掌握主动权,将管辖冲突规则为我所用。在具体跨境纠纷的处理上,要充分利用管辖权冲突规则,全局谋划、统筹考虑。在主动的情况下寻求不断扩大优势地位,在被动的情况下学会利用平行诉讼等规则开辟新战场,化被动为主动,打好组合拳。

Seize the Initiative in Jurisdictional Issues. In dealing with specific cross-border disputes, it is often necessary to leverage the relevant conflict of laws rules and carefully strategise for the overall situation. Corporations should actively seek to expand and protect advantageous positions, while using strategies like parallel proceedings in disadvantageous situations to try and turn the tables.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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