Foreign Judgment Recognition & Enforcement

Foreign Judgment Recognition & Enforcement

Recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments in Chinese courts under bilateral treaties, the principle of reciprocity, and domestic law.

We guide clients through the full lifecycle of foreign judgment enforcement in China:

Pre-Filing Assessment

Enforceability analysis under applicable bilateral judicial assistance treaties
Reciprocity analysis where no treaty exists (based on evolving PRC court practice)
Identification of optimal filing jurisdiction and court level
Statute of limitations review

Application Preparation

Preparation of the recognition and enforcement application
Coordination of document authentication, legalization, or apostille
Certified Chinese translation of foreign judgment and supporting materials
Proof of proper service on the judgment debtor

Court Proceedings

Filing with the competent Chinese intermediate people’s court
Written submissions addressing Chinese law requirements for recognition
Oral hearing advocacy
Handling of debtor objections (public policy, due process, service)

Post-Recognition

Obtaining the enforceable Chinese court order (民事裁定书)
Transition to execution proceedings before the enforcement bureau
Coordinated asset recovery strategy