🏢 Legal

👪 Divorce in China — procedure and rights Divorce by mutual consent with the cooling-off period, and contested divorce in court.

Family & divorce民法典（婚姻家庭编）

🚔 A fight and assault — which law applies? A minor dispute escalates into a physical fight — how do the authorities treat it?

Fights, theft, forgery治安管理处罚法 / 刑法（故意伤害）

🚔 Forged documents or fraud — the consequences Buying or using forged papers (a permit, diploma, invoice) and what follows.

Fights, theft, forgery刑法（诈骗 / 伪造证件）

🛂 Overstaying your visa — what happens? The visa expired and wasn't renewed in time — what are the penalties and how to avoid them

Residence & visas出境入境管理法

🚔 Theft — the line between an infraction and a crime When is theft an administrative infraction, and when does it become a crime?

Fights, theft, forgery治安管理处罚法 / 刑法（盗窃）

👷 Unpaid wages — how to claim what you're owed An employer withholds pay — what is the fastest legal route?

Labour disputes劳动合同法 / 劳动争议调解仲裁法

🚔 Working without a permit — a risk for both sides A foreigner works on a tourist/student visa or with no work permit — what are the conseque

外国人在中国就业管理规定 / 出境入境管理法

🚔 Drugs — One Red Line, No Way Back Is it enough that you didn't touch drugs if you were present where they were used?

Fights, theft, forgery禁毒法 / Narcotics Control Law

🚔 One Drink Before Driving Can Cost You Your Stay Is 'just one drink' considered safe for driving in China?

道路交通安全法 / Road Traffic Safety Law

🏠 A Deposit Comes Back with Contracts, Not Words How do you protect your rental deposit against a vague claim of 'damage'?

Housing & rent民法典（合同编·租赁合同）/ Civil Code (Contracts — Lease)

🏢 The Unknown Supplier: A Deposit and No Goods How do you avoid paying a deposit to a factory that 'vanishes' or ships fake goods?

Contracts & trade公司法 / 民法典（合同编）/ Company Law & Civil Code (Contracts)

💡 First to File Wins — Register Your Mark Early What happens if you enter the Chinese market and find your brand name already registered b

Intellectual property商标法 / Trademark Law

👷 Unpaid Wages Come Back Through Arbitration, Not Quiet Exit Unpaid for months — do you walk away quietly or claim formally?

Labour disputes劳动合同法 / 劳动争议调解仲裁法 / Labour Contract Law & Labour Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Law

🏢 Underground Money Changers: A Shortcut to Frozen Funds Is moving a large sum through an informal 'money changer' faster and safer than a bank?

Contracts & trade外汇管理条例 / 刑法 / Foreign Exchange Regulations & Criminal Law provisions

💰 Ignoring the Annual Tax Reconciliation Leaves a Mark Can you simply ignore your annual tax filing or reconciliation without consequences?

Tax个人所得税法 / 税收征收管理法 / Individual Income Tax Law & Tax Collection Administration Law

🛂 Tired of Renewing Every Year? Consider Permanent Residence A long-term resident renewing yearly wonders if he qualifies for China's 'green card'.

Residence & visas外国人在中国永久居留管理条例 / Permanent Residence rules

🛂 A Child with a Foreign Passport the Law Sees as Chinese One parent Chinese, one foreign—so what is the nationality of their child born in China?

Residence & visas中华人民共和国国籍法 / Nationality Law

👷 A Workplace Injury—and Insurance Made the Difference A worker is injured on the job—must he bear the treatment costs himself?

Labour disputes安全生产法 / 社会保险法 / Work Safety Law & Social Insurance Law

🏢 A Sector Off-Limits to Foreigners—Using a Local 'Front' Is Risky A foreigner wants to invest in a restricted sector and registers the company under a local

Contracts & trade外商投资法 / Foreign Investment Law

🏢 Under-Declaring Value to Save on Duty—an Expensive Trap A trader declares a lower-than-real value for his imported goods—what happens at inspectio

Contracts & trade海关法 / Customs Law

🏢 Opened the Restaurant Before the License—and Got Shut Down Someone opens a small restaurant and serves customers before getting the food license—what

Contracts & trade食品安全法 / Food Safety Law

🏢 Copying a Famous Brand's Name and Packaging—Counterfeiting the Law Punishes A seller markets goods with packaging and a name resembling a famous brand to mislead buye

Contracts & trade反不正当竞争法 / 商标法 / Anti-Unfair Competition Law & Trademark Law

🏢 Defective goods from your supplier… and you are liable A reseller sold products supplied by another company; the goods turned out defective and t

Contracts & trade产品质量法 / Product Quality Law

💰 Buying a fake fapiao… a serious violation A business bought fake official invoices to inflate expenses and reduce tax, and faced pen

Tax增值税 / VAT rules

👪 Dying without a will… the estate follows a fixed order A foreigner with assets in China died without a will, so his estate passed to statutory he

Family & divorce民法典 继承编 / Civil Code — Inheritance

💡 You showed your design before filing… a rival copied it A maker displayed a new design at a fair before filing a patent; a rival copied it, and st

Intellectual property专利法 / Patent Law

💡 You used online images and music without a licence A business used images, music and software found online in its ads without a licence, and

Intellectual property著作权法 / Copyright Law

🚔 A replica gun or controlled knife… may count as a weapon A foreigner acquired a realistic replica gun or a controlled knife not realising it may co

Fights, theft, forgery枪支管理法 / Firearms Administration Law

🚔 A fake product from an online shop… and you got your refund A consumer received a fake or defective product bought online and got a refund using the w

消费者权益保护法 / Consumer Rights Protection Law

🚔 An App Using Customer Data Beyond the Stated Purpose A small app-based shop collects customers' phone numbers and addresses for delivery, then

个人信息保护法 / 数据安全法 / Personal Information Protection Law & Data Security Law

🚔 A New Resident Finds the Nearest Officially Registered Place of Worship A newly-arrived Muslim resident is unsure where to pray, asks the local community, and is

宗教事务条例 / Regulations on Religious Affairs

🚔 A Traveller Carrying Restricted Meat and Homemade Food Across the Border A traveller packs fresh meat, homemade food and some seeds; at the border these are confis

国境卫生检疫法 / 海关法 / Frontier Health and Quarantine Law & Customs Law

🚔 The Right Court and the Right Time Decide the Case One person files in the wrong court or too late and gets stuck, while another files in the

民事诉讼法 / Civil Procedure Law

🚔 Documentation After an Accident Determines the Compensation After a traffic accident, the party who documented everything (photos, police report, medi

民法典 侵权责任编 / Civil Code — Tort Liability

🚔 Lending a Real-Name Account Brings Liability A foreign resident lets someone use a SIM or account registered in his real name, or regis

网络安全法 / Cybersecurity Law

📑 A Supplier Chasing an Unpaid Invoice A supplier delivered goods to a business buyer who then delayed payment, so the supplier p

Commercial cases民法典（合同编）/ Civil Code (Contracts)

📑 Ending a Distribution Deal Between a Foreign Brand and a Local Distributor A foreign brand terminated its local distributor, who then claimed unpaid commissions and

Commercial cases民法典（合同编）/ Civil Code (Contracts)

📑 A Dispute Between Two Partners Over Control and Profits Two partners in a company disagreed over management, profit sharing and the legal represen

Commercial cases公司法 / Company Law

⚖️ An Arbitration Clause Settling a Dispute Outside Court A contract contained an arbitration clause, so when a dispute arose the parties used arbit

Dispute-resolution cases仲裁法 / Arbitration Law

⚖️ Settling a Dispute Through Mediation Before Litigation Two parties in a commercial dispute reached a settlement through mediation and put it in w

Dispute-resolution cases人民调解法 / People's Mediation Law

⚖️ Applying for Enforcement After Winning the Award A party won a judgment or arbitral award but the other side refused to pay, so the winner

Dispute-resolution cases民事诉讼法 / 仲裁法 / Civil Procedure Law & Arbitration Law

🛂 My residence permit expired while I was abroad — what now? Can you return on an expired residence permit if you travelled?

Residence & visas出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

👷 Unpaid Overtime — The Law Counts Every Hour Can your employer make you work extra hours with no extra pay?

Labour disputes工资支付暂行规定 / Interim Provisions on Payment of Wages

👷 My employer is holding my passport Can an employer keep your passport 'as security'?

Labour disputes出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

👷 Firing During Probation Is Not a Free Pass Can an employer fire you in probation just by saying you're 'not a fit'?

Labour disputes劳动合同法 / Labor Contract Law

🛂 I didn't register my address and got fined Who must register a foreigner's stay — you or the landlord?

Residence & visas出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

👷 No Written Contract — The Company Pays Double You worked months with no paper contract — what does the law give you?

Labour disputes劳动合同法 / Labor Contract Law

🛂 I started working on a tourist visa Can you switch to a work visa inside China, or must you leave first?

Residence & visas外国人在中国就业管理规定 / Rules on Employment of Foreigners

👷 'We'll Pay You Cash Instead of Insurance' — A Costly Trap Can an employer hand you cash instead of paying social insurance?

Labour disputes社会保险法 / Social Insurance Law

🛂 A deportation order — do I have any rights? What happens on deportation and can you object?

Residence & visas出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

👷 Wrongful Dismissal Equals 2N Compensation If you're fired with no lawful reason, how much is your compensation worth?

Labour disputes劳动合同法 / Labor Contract Law

👪 My child was born in China — what nationality? Does China grant nationality just for being born there?

Family & divorce中华人民共和国国籍法 / Nationality Law

👷 A Non-Compete With No Pay Doesn't Bind You Must you avoid a competitor after resigning if you get nothing in return?

Labour disputes劳动合同法 / Labor Contract Law

🏦 An app loan with crushing interest Must you pay app-loan interest above the legal cap?

Finance, banking & securities中华人民共和国民法典 / Civil Code (private lending)

👷 No Firing for Pregnancy — Special Protection for Mothers Can an employer end a worker's contract because she is pregnant?

Labour disputes妇女权益保障法 / Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests

🛂 A fake job offer to get a visa What's the risk of a sham job offer to get a permit?

Residence & visas外国人来华工作许可 / Foreigner Work Permit system

👷 Fines That Eat Your Salary — Are They Legal? Can your employer dock your pay with fines for small mistakes?

Labour disputes工资支付暂行规定 / Interim Provisions on Payment of Wages

🛡️ The gym closed and kept my prepaid balance Is your balance lost if a prepaid business shuts down?

Consumer protection中华人民共和国消费者权益保护法 / Consumer Protection Law

🏢 Business Without a License — Today's Profit, Tomorrow's Fine Can you sell your products in China without formal business registration?

Contracts & trade市场主体登记管理条例 / Regulations on Registration of Market Entities

🏢 Mixing Your Money With the Company's Strips Your Shield Does 'limited liability' still protect you if you mix personal and company funds?

Contracts & trade公司法 / Company Law

🏢 'Registered' Capital Is Not 'Paid-Up' Capital If you register a big capital but never pay it in, what do you owe when debts come?

Contracts & trade公司法 / Company Law

🏢 A Handshake Partnership — A Dispute in Waiting Two friends open a venture with no written partnership deal — who owns what?

Contracts & trade合伙企业法 / Partnership Enterprise Law

🏢 An Employee Pocketing Company Money Is a Crime, Not a 'Loan' Is an employee 'borrowing' company funds meaning to return them still a crime?

Contracts & trade刑法（职务侵占罪）/ Criminal Law (Crime of Duty Embezzlement)

📄 A Deposit Cuts Both Ways — The Double Rule If you pay a deposit and the seller backs out, do you get double back?

Contracts民法典（定金罚则）/ Civil Code (Deposit Penalty Rule)

📄 An Oral Deal Is Valid… But Prove It! Is an oral contract binding in China, and what's its real problem?

Contracts民法典（合同编）/ Civil Code (Contracts)

📄 An Excessive Penalty Clause — The Court Trims It Is a penalty clause enforced no matter how excessive?

Contracts民法典（违约金）/ Civil Code (Liquidated Damages)

📄 Force Majeure Excuses… But Not Everything When does 'force majeure' actually release you from your contract?

Contracts民法典（不可抗力）/ Civil Code (Force Majeure)

📄 The Tiny Printed Clause That Kills Your Rights — May Be Void Does a boilerplate clause bind you if they never flagged it and it strips your rights?

Contracts民法典（格式条款）/ Civil Code (Standard Terms)

👪 Dividing Property in Divorce — What's Shared, What's Separate In divorce, is everything really split down the middle?

Family & divorce民法典（婚姻家庭编）/ Civil Code (Marriage and Family)

👪 The Cooling-off Period — 30 Days Before an Agreed Divorce Can an agreed divorce in China be done in a single day?

Family & divorce民法典（离婚冷静期）/ Civil Code (Divorce Cooling-off Period)

👪 Custody and Child Support — The Child's Interest Comes First Who gets custody, and does the other parent's support duty end?

Family & divorce民法典（婚姻家庭编）/ Civil Code (Marriage and Family)

👪 A Spousal Property Agreement — Planning, Not Betrayal Can a married couple agree in writing on how to arrange their finances?

Family & divorce民法典（夫妻财产约定）/ Civil Code (Spousal Property Agreement)

👪 Supporting Parents Is a Legal Duty, Not a Choice Can an elderly parent sue their child for support?

Family & divorce老年人权益保障法 / Law on Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly

👪 A Personal Safety Protection Order — Your Shield Against Abuse What does the law offer someone facing violence at home?

Family & divorce反家庭暴力法 / Anti-Domestic Violence Law

🏠 The Landlord Can't Enter Your Flat Whenever He Likes Does a landlord have the right to enter a rented flat without your consent?

Housing & rent民法典（租赁合同）/ Civil Code (Lease Contract)

🏠 Raising Rent Mid-Lease — Not by One Side Alone Can the landlord raise the rent while the lease is still running?

Housing & rent民法典（租赁合同）/ Civil Code (Lease Contract)

🏠 Property Ownership Transfers by Registration, Not Payment You paid the full price — are you truly the owner now?

Housing & rent民法典（物权编）/ Civil Code (Property Rights)

🏠 Withholding Management Fees in Protest — May Lose You the Case Can you refuse property management fees because the service is poor?

Housing & rent物业管理条例 / Property Management Regulations

🏠 Water Leaking From the Flat Above — Who Pays? If a leak from the flat above ruins your furniture, who is liable?

Housing & rent民法典（相邻关系）/ Civil Code (Neighboring Rights)

🛡️ The 7-Day No-Reason Return Right You bought online and regret it — can you get a refund with no reason?

Consumer protection消费者权益保护法 / Consumer Rights Protection Law

🛡️ Commercial Fraud Costs the Seller Triple If a trader deceives you with a false claim, how much can you claim?

Consumer protection消费者权益保护法 / Consumer Rights Protection Law

🛡️ The Prepaid Membership Card — and the Shop Suddenly Closes You topped up a gym card and it shut down — is your money gone?

Consumer protection消费者权益保护法（预付式消费）/ Consumer Rights Protection Law (Prepaid Consumption)

🛡️ Course Tuition — Refunding What You Never Studied You paid for a full course then dropped out — how much comes back?

Consumer protection消费者权益保护法 / Consumer Rights Protection Law

🛡️ A Faulty New Car — The 'Three Guarantees' Rule Your new car keeps breaking down — can it be replaced or refunded?

Consumer protection家用汽车产品三包规定 / Rules on Repair, Replacement and Return of Family Cars

🛡️ Unsafe Food — Tenfold Compensation You found expired or harmful food — how big is your claim?

Consumer protection食品安全法 / Food Safety Law

🚔 A Street Brawl — 'Self-Defense' Has Limits If someone provokes you and you both fight, are you innocent because he 'started it'?

Fights, theft, forgery治安管理处罚法 / Public Security Administration Punishments Law

🚔 A Call 'From the Police' Demanding a Transfer — Certain Fraud Would a real official body ever call to move your money to a 'safe account'?

Fights, theft, forgery刑法（诈骗罪）/ Criminal Law (Fraud)

🚔 Lending Your Bank Card Can Make You a Criminal A friend asks to use your account for a commission — where's the danger?

Fights, theft, forgery刑法（帮助信息网络犯罪活动罪）/ Criminal Law (Aiding Cybercrime)

🚔 A 'Small Item' From a Shop — Between Offense and Crime Is stealing something cheap just a 'minor slip'?

Fights, theft, forgery治安管理处罚法 / 刑法 (Public Security / Criminal Law)

🚔 Online Defamation Is Not 'Free Speech' Does 'just an online opinion' save you from defamation liability?

Fights, theft, forgery刑法 / 民法典（名誉权）(Criminal Law / Civil Code — Reputation)

🚦 The E-Bike Is Not Above the Law Do traffic rules apply to electric bikes too?

Traffic & transport道路交通安全法 / Road Traffic Safety Law

🚦 Fleeing After an Accident Multiplies the Penalty After an accident, does fleeing make things lighter or far heavier?

Traffic & transport道路交通安全法 / 刑法 (Road Traffic Safety Law / Criminal Law)

🚦 Your Foreign License Isn't Enough to Drive in China Can you drive in China on your home or international license?

Traffic & transport道路交通安全法 / Road Traffic Safety Law

🚦 The Traffic Liability Report Is the Key to Compensation After a minor crash, why is the police report more important than arguing?

Traffic & transport道路交通安全法 / Road Traffic Safety Law

🚦 A Few Minutes' Bad Parking — Points and Fines Add Up Is parking illegally 'for just two minutes' really harmless?

Traffic & transport道路交通安全法 / Road Traffic Safety Law

🛂 Overstaying Your Visa — Every Day Has a Price You forgot to renew your stay for a few days — what's the penalty?

Residence & visas出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

🛂 Working on a Tourist Visa — Illegal Employment Can you work in China on any visa as long as you work hard?

Residence & visas出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

🛂 A Foreign Student Working — Within Limits and With Permission Can a foreign student work full-time off campus?

Residence & visas出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

🛂 Registering Your Address Within 24 Hours — An Often-Forgotten Duty You rented a flat or stayed with a friend — must you register it?

Residence & visas出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

🛂 A Visa Agent Promising a 'Quick Fix' — A Dangerous Trap Do you trust an agent promising a work visa 'with no conditions' for a fee?

Residence & visas出境入境管理法 / Exit and Entry Administration Law

⚖️ A Small Sum, a Big Dispute — Simplified Procedures Serve You Is a small debt worth the trouble of going to court?

Dispute-resolution cases民事诉讼法 / Civil Procedure Law

⚖️ A Right You Delay Claiming May Lapse — 3 Years A debt owed to you for years — can you still claim it?

Dispute-resolution cases民法典（诉讼时效）/ Civil Code (Limitation of Actions)

⚖️ Mediation Before Court — Faster and Cheaper Is litigation the only way to resolve your dispute?

Dispute-resolution cases人民调解法 / People's Mediation Law

⚖️ WeChat Chats Are Evidence — If You Preserve Them Right Are WeChat messages and transfers accepted as court evidence?

Dispute-resolution cases民事诉讼法（电子数据）/ Civil Procedure Law (Electronic Data)

💰 The 183-Day Rule — When Do You Become a Tax Resident? How long in China before your income becomes taxable here?

Tax个人所得税法 / Individual Income Tax Law

💰 Expat Allowances — Conditional Exemptions Not to Miss Is tax charged on the housing and schooling allowance your company gives you?

Tax个人所得税法 / Individual Income Tax Law

💰 Your Rental Income Is Taxable Too You rent out a spare flat — do you owe tax on the rent?

Tax个人所得税法 / Individual Income Tax Law

💰 The Official Invoice Isn't a Detail — It's an Obligation Your client asks for an official invoice — can you refuse?

Tax增值税相关规定 / Value-Added Tax Provisions

📜 Finders Are Not Keepers — The Duty to Return You found a phone or wallet — is it 'finders keepers'?

Civil Code (general rules)民法典（拾得遗失物）/ Civil Code (Found Lost Property)

📜 Guaranteeing a Friend's Loan Can Make the Debt Yours You guaranteed a friend and he defaulted — does the debt chase you?

Civil Code (general rules)民法典（保证合同）/ Civil Code (Guarantee Contract)

💡 Pirated Software in Your Company — Savings Turned to Fines Think using unlicensed software at work is an 'internal matter'?

Intellectual property著作权法 / Copyright Law

🏥 A Medical Dispute — The Legal Path, Not Chaos You believe a medical error harmed your relative — what's the right step?

Health & medicine医疗纠纷预防和处理条例 / Regulations on Prevention and Handling of Medical Disputes

🎓 An Unlicensed School — A Worthless Certificate You paid an institute promising a recognized certificate — how do you verify it?

Education民办教育促进法 / Law on Promotion of Private Education

🌱 Neighbor and Construction Noise — Your Right to Quiet Nighttime noise robs you of sleep — what does the law say?

Environment & resources噪声污染防治法 / Law on Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution

🏛️ An Administrative Fine You Find Unfair — You Can Challenge It You got a government fine you think is wrong — what can you do?

Administrative law & governance行政处罚法 / 行政复议法 (Administrative Penalty Law / Administrative Reconsideration Law)

🏦 A 'Guaranteed' High Return — A Sign of Illegal Fund-Raising An investment promising high, fixed profits with 'no risk' — do you believe it?

Finance, banking & securities防范和处置非法集资条例 / Regulations on Preventing and Dealing with Illegal Fund-Raising