安慰函的性质界定与司法裁判路径探析

Exploring the Nature Definition and the Path of Judicial Judgment of the Comfort Letter

伴随商事交易的发展不断追求便捷与高效,多种商事担保制度便应运而生。安慰函作为类保证的增信措施,是在双方利益平衡与双向选择中应运而生的新型担保方式,模糊性是其突出特点,通常被政府或者母公司应用为一种增信函书。因其打破了传统担保的形式,缺乏严格的要式性,在效力上产生模糊之处,由此便需要将安慰函的性质与单方允诺之债、保证合同等情形进行区分。安慰函的适用尚处于性质不明、责任无法划分的困境中,需将发函主体特性、函件内容表征、经济政策影响等因素纳入效力评判标准,才能为安慰函的性质与效力界定厘清裁判路径。

With the development of commercial transactions pursuing convenience and efficiency,various commercial guarantee systems have emerged.The comfort letter,as a form of credit enhancement akin to a guarantee,has arisen as a new type of guarantee method that balances the interests of both parties and allows for mutual selection.Its ambiguity is a prominent characteristic,and it is typically utilized by governments or parent companies as a form of credit enhancement letter.Given that it breaks away from traditional guarantee forms and lacks strict formal requirements,there are ambiguities regarding its validity.Therefore,it is necessary to distinguish the nature of comfort letters from unilateral promises,guarantee contracts,and other scenarios.The application of comfort letters currently faces the dilemma of unclear nature and indefinable responsibilities.To clarify the judicial pathways for defining the nature and validity of comfort letters,factors such as the characteristics of the issuing party,the content representation of the letters,and the impact of economic policies must be incorporated into the criteria for assessing validity.