Chongqing - China’s Civil Code is now more accessible to international readers. A new English edition of The Civil Code in China and 100 Questions Related to Citizens’ Life, published by Chongqing Publishing House, is now available worldwide through international legal publisher William S. Hein.
A new English edition of the Civil Code in China and 100 Questions Related to Citizens' Life. (Photo/Southwest University of Political Science and Law)
A team of scholars from Southwest University of Political Science and Law and other institutions translated the book into English, aiming to convey the principles behind China’s Civil Code and explain the thinking that shapes its legal system. The project was led by the university’s School of Foreign Languages.
Written in a Q&A format, The Civil Code in China and 100 Questions Related to Citizens’ Life uses 100 real-life cases to explain how Chinese civil law applies to everyday issues, from marriage and inheritance to children’s rights, online liability, digital property and community governance.
How to pursue liability for online infringements? How to protect personal information? Answers may vary from country to country.
Through real-life cases, the English edition shows how China’s Civil Code balances individual rights with public interests and addresses everyday issues such as family relationships and social responsibilities.
The book also raises a broader question: how do different countries address similar social challenges through their legal systems, and what values shape these approaches?
The translation adopts a dual strategy of equivalent terminology plus cultural annotations. On terminology, it follows internationally accepted legal translation standards to ensure precise wording of core legal concepts such as property rights and contracts, presenting the fundamental logic of China’s civil law system.
Culturally, background notes are added for specific scenarios in China’s social governance and folk customs, helping overseas readers understand how the Civil Code responds to real social needs and protects citizens’ legitimate rights and interests.
Concepts distinctive to China’s legal culture embedded in the Civil Code, such as “putting people first”, “rights protection” and “social harmony”, cannot be accurately conveyed cross-culturally through literal translation alone. They need interpretation grounded in China’s social progress and rule-of-law development.
In this process, legal translation serves not only language conversion but also exchanges and mutual understanding between different legal cultures, opening an important channel for the international community to learn about China’s legal system.
Book entry page.(Photo/Southwest University of Political Science and Law)
Book entry page.(Photo/Southwest University of Political Science and Law)
The English edition has been included in the Library of Congress of the United States and the WorldCat global library union catalog. It will later be available on HeinOnline, a professional legal database, and Amazon’s global bookstore platform to reach more overseas universities, legal institutions and general readers.
The Chinese edition of The Civil Code in China and 100 Questions Related to Citizen's Life. (Photo/Southwest University of Political Science and Law)