Sit Kwong Lam v Petrolimex Singapore Pte. Ltd [2019] HKCA 1220 (date of judgment 1 November 2019)

But Ka Chon v Interactive Brokers LLC [2019] 5 HKC 238 (date of judgment 2 August 2019)

The Companies Court has changed the approach in which winding up proceedings are handled when the alleged debt is the subject of an arbitration agreement in the case of Lasmos Limited v Southwest Pacific Bauxite (HK) Limited [2018] HKCFI 426. In two recent bankruptcy cases, the Court of Appeal made obiter comments on the Lasmos approach.

Just in time for Chinese New Year, a Hong Kong court has taken a major step forward in the developing law on cross-border insolvency by recognising a mainland Chinese liquidation for the first time. InJoint and Several Liquidators of CEFC Shanghai International Group Ltd [2020] HKCFI 167, Mr Justice Harris granted recognition and assistance to mainland administrators in Hong Kong so they could perform their functions and protect assets held in Hong Kong from enforcement.

Chinese bankruptcies have surged recently as the government uses the legal system to deal with “zombie” companies and reduce industrial overcapacity as part of a broader effort to restructure the economy. According to figures from the Supreme People’s Court, Chinese courts accepted 5,665 bankruptcy cases in 2016, an increase of 53.8% from the previous year1. As the Chinese government and the courts become more receptive to bankruptcies, without a mature market-based credit system in place, the risks heighten that debtors and creditors could try to game the bankruptcy process.

Understanding your rights as a creditor while navigating under China’s bankruptcy laws is becoming a must these days, especially for foreign creditors. As many foreign companies engage in business with Chinese companies, chances are likely that you will encounter a failing Chinese company that will file for bankruptcy in China. A China bankruptcy filing can have a tremendous impact upon foreign creditors.  If you are doing business with Chinese companies or have investments in Chinese companies, you should be aware of your rights as a creditor under Chinese bankruptcy laws.

Payment of debts to individual creditors (hereinafter also referred to as “individual payoff”) refers to the debtor’s payment to individual creditors when the debtor is already subject to bankruptcy because of a certain reason. The P.R.C.

最高人民法院关于适用《中华人民共和国企业破产法》若干问题的规定（一）(09/09/2011)

The Bankruptcy Law, applicable to FIEs and most other companies in China, will come into effect on 1 June 2007.

The Bankruptcy Law sets out a dual test of insolvency: inability to pay debts as they fall due ("cash flow insolvency") and insufficient assets to pay off all debts ("balance sheet insolvency"). Either a debtor or a creditor may apply to the court for reorganization or liquidation of the debtor. Court assistance may also be sought to conciliate.

On 27 August 2006, the PRC National People’s Congress passed a new Enterprise Insolvency Law (the “Law”) after more than a decade’s preparation and debate. The Law, which will become effective on 1 June 2007, introduces a formal insolvency process applying to a wide range of legal entities. The Law only contains general principles which in practice are unlikely to provide sufficient protection to creditors’ interests.

Scope of application

Introduction This briefing complements our other publications on corporate restructuring and the sale or purchase of distressed assets.  

What are the options for companies in financial difficulty in the PRC?  

Throughout the global economic meltdown, the number of bankruptcy cases in China has risen considerably. To shed light on bankruptcy proceedings and stabilize the domestic economy, the Supreme People’s Court of the PRC issued Opinions on Several Issues Regarding the Proper Adjudication of Enterprise Bankruptcy Cases to Provide a Judicial Safeguard for Maintaining Order in the Market Economy on June 12, 2009. The Opinions direct courts at all levels to properly apply the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law (EBL) to assist insolvent enterprises, maintain market order, and stabilize the economy.