Drafting Bankruptcy Laws in Socialist Market Economies: Recent Developments in China and Vietnam

Abstract

Both the People’s Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are making the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market-based economy. An effective bankruptcy law is an integral part of the institutional framework necessary for this transition. China enacted the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Enterprise Bankruptcy on December 2, 1986, and it came into operation on October 1, 1988. On April 9, 1991, the PRC Civil Procedure Law was approved, with Chapter XIX applying to the bankruptcy of non-SOE enterprises with legal person status. The Vietnam Law on Bankruptcy was enacted on December 30, 1993, and took effect on July 1, 1994. These laws did not live up to early expectations and both China and Vietnam proposed new insolvency laws The present article provides an update on the insolvency reform processes in China and Vietnam since mid-2002 and discusses six main areas: the insolvency framework, the scope of the bankruptcy laws, bankruptcy administration, corporate rehabilitation, priorities in distribution and the protection of employees’ interests, and cross-border insolvency issues.