《外商投资法》中“政策承诺”之辨析

Analysis on Policy Commitment in Foreign Investment Law of PRC

“政策承诺”是《外商投资法》创设的新法律术语,带来法律与政策关系的新变化,即将招商引资政策以具有法律拘束力的“承诺”具体化、特定化,转化成法律义务,实现了政策与法律的微观互动。“政策承诺”成为法律术语,是诚实信用原则、信赖利益原则的具体化,也是优化营商环境、增强外资吸引力,保障中国政府管理外资“政策空间”的需要。《外商投资法》要求“政策承诺”由各级政府及其有关部门在职权范围内向中国境内投资的外国投资者与外商投资企业依法作出,内容特定为支持政策、优惠待遇、便利条件等,且要求符合法律法规,要求的书面形式可以是规范性文件、单方承诺函、合同中的义务条款。借鉴公法与私法、行政行为与商业行为的划分标准,政策承诺属于公法承诺,是一种新型行政行为,构成行政允诺或行政奖励。《外商投资法》对外资政策承诺给予特别保护,强化了内外资企业公平竞争、依法平等适用国家支持企业发展的各项政策,要求涉及政策承诺的规范性文件如减损外资利益必须有法律、行政法规依据。外资政策承诺争议可通过外商投资企业投诉工作机制协调解决。

“policy commitment”is a new legal term created by the Foreign Investment Law of PRC,which brings about new changes in the relationship between law and policy.The policy of attracting investment concretized and become specific through“commitment”with legal binding force,which is transformed into legal obligation,realizing the interaction between policy and law at the micro level.As a legal term,“policy commitment”embodies the principle of good faith and reliance on interests.It is also the practical needs of the Chinese government to optimize the business environment,to enhance the attractiveness to foreign investment,and to ensure the“policy space”for foreign investment regulation.The Foreign Investment Law of PRC requires that“policy commitment”be made by governments at all levels and their relevant departments in accordance with the law,within the scope of their functions and powers.And the contents are specific to policies of support,preferential treatment,conveniences and facilities,etc.,which can only be enjoyed by foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises investing in China.The written forms required may be normative documents,unilateral letters of commitment,and contractual obligations.Based on the classification of public and private law,governmental act and commercial act,policy commitment constitutes a new type of administrative act.According to the present theoretical analysis of administrative act,“policy commitment”can constitute administrative promise and administrative reward.The Foreign Investment Law gives special protection to foreign investment policy commitments,which strengthens the fair competition and equal application of all state policies supporting the development of domestic and foreign enterprises in accordance with the law,which required that the impairment of foreign investor’s interests in normative documents involving policy commitments must be based on laws and administrative regulations,and disputes on foreign investment policy commitments can be settled through the working mechanism of foreign-invested enterprises complaint.