Court mediation can end the case with an enforceable 调解书 — a WeChat ‘we are good’ is not a judgment.
Civil Procedure Law expects courts to mediate when appropriate. If parties settle, the court may issue a mediation statement that is enforceable. Walking away from a signed 调解书 is an execution problem, not a redo. Mediation can happen before or during trial. Commercial mediation outside court has its own 2025-era regulations — that long piece stays on /china-commercial-mediation-regulations-settlement-security. This wiki page is in-court mediation. Do not confuse it with labour mediation.
4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Is the court already seized?
In-court vs private mediation.
ForumDo you need an enforceable instrument?
调解书 vs private MOU.
OutputAny criminal overlay?
Fraud facts.
CrimeConfidentiality vs later trial?
What can be reused.
PrivilegeWorking rule: Map the regulated role before marketing or launch in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Can I refuse to mediate?
You can fail to agree. Courts still often try. Refusing in bad faith can colour costs/attitude, not usually the merits alone.
Where is the out-of-court piece?
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.