Buying from China, selling into China, or working with a Chinese partner?
I’m Adrian Liu, a PRC-licensed attorney in Xiamen, licence no. 13502202110350464. I advise international businesses on the Chinese-law side of their commercial relationships. This includes overseas buyers, brands working with Chinese distributors, and businesses negotiating manufacturing or supply arrangements.
The starting point is your transaction. A one-off purchase, an exclusive distribution arrangement and a continuing manufacturing relationship need different commitments and exit terms. I review the proposed structure before deciding which documents the deal needs.
Manufacturing & supply
OEM and ODM agreements, purchase terms, specifications, delivery, tooling ownership, inspection, acceptance and payment milestones.
Distribution & sales
Territory, channels, exclusivity, performance targets, brand use, customer relationships, payment and termination.
Confidentiality & product information
NNN agreements, permitted use of designs, subcontracting, disclosure controls and the handling of information when work ends.
Food industry transactions
Product and packaging specifications, supplier documents, batch records and equipment acceptance requirements, coordinated with your technical advisers.
Make the contract reflect the deal
I compare the draft against the quotation, purchase orders, technical schedules and correspondence. The company signing, the entity receiving payment and the business expected to perform should be identified clearly. Where those entities differ, the arrangement needs an explanation and appropriate obligations.
- Performance: the product or service, quality criteria, delivery commitments and records each party must provide.
- Payment: amounts, milestones, acceptance conditions, currency and the nominated recipient.
- Control: approvals for changes, subcontracting, intellectual property, brand use and access to tooling or documents.
- Exit and disputes: notice, cure periods, termination, outstanding orders, settlement obligations and the proposed forum.
What you receive
Depending on the agreed scope, I provide a marked-up draft or a new agreement, a written explanation of the main risks, and a list of commercial decisions still needed from you. Negotiation support can be included. We agree the language versions and how they are intended to operate before drafting.
I explain the practical effect of the clauses. A contract is useful when your purchasing, sales and operations teams can follow it, maintain the right records and recognise when a problem needs attention.
Start with the transaction and the deadline
For the initial enquiry, tell me what your business does, where the Chinese counterparty is located, whether a draft exists and when you need to sign. Please send a non-confidential outline first. After the conflict check, we agree the documents to review, the scope and the fee.
Where the arrangement involves another jurisdiction, I coordinate the Chinese-law work with your own counsel. Technical specifications, product testing and foreign regulatory advice are handled with the appropriate specialists.