1 Arbitration Law of the People's Republic of China （Adopted at the 8th Session of the Standing Committee of the 8th National People's Congress and Promulgated on August 31， 1994） 颁布日期：19940831 实施日期：19950901 颁布单位：全国人大常委会 Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 This Law is formulated in order to ensure that economic disputes shall be impartially and promptly arbitrated， to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the relevant parties and to guarantee the healthy development of the socialist market economy. Article 2 Disputes over contracts and disputes over property rights and interests between citizens， legal persons and other organizations as equal subjects of law may be submitted to arbitration. Article 3 The following disputes shall not be submitted to arbitration： 1. disputes over marriage， adoption， guardianship， child maintenance and inheritance； and 2. administrative disputes falling within the jurisdiction of the relevant administrative organs according to law. Article 4 The parties adopting arbitration for dispute settlement shall reach an arbitration agreement on a mutually voluntary basis. An arbitration commission shall not accept an application for arbitration submitted by one of the parties in the absence of an arbitration agreement. Article 5 A people's court shall not accept an action initiated by one of the parties if the parties have concluded an arbitration agreement， unless the arbitration agreement is invalid. Article 6 An arbitration commission shall be selected by the parties by agreement. The jurisdiction by level system and the district jurisdiction system shall not apply in arbitration. Article 7 Disputes shall be fairly and reasonably settled by arbi...
