WHAT 不可抗力 MEANS
What 不可抗力 means
Force majeure does not automatically cancel a contract. The party relying on it must assess causation, notice and proof, and liability may be reduced or avoided only to the extent the event prevents performance under the applicable rules.
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Why the role matters
Commercial clauses often expand or narrow operational procedures around force majeure. Parties should distinguish the statutory concept from hardship, price increases or ordinary supply-chain difficulty.
CONTEXT
Where you see the term
ContextWhat it means there
Supply interruptionA party invokes an extraordinary event.
ConstructionDelay and extension-of-time claims.
DisputesEvidence focuses on the event, causation, mitigation and notice.
TRANSLATION NOTE
文/A
Translation note
不可抗力 is conventionally “force majeure”. It is a legal standard, not a synonym for any unexpected event.
AUTHORITY
Primary legal basis
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Example
A government emergency order temporarily closes a facility. The supplier must still show how the closure prevented the specific delivery and what steps were taken after the event.
SOURCES AND REVIEW
Primary authorities.
18 Sep 2026
OFFICIAL SOURCESUPPORTSCHECKED
PRC Civil Code
PRC Civil Code
MAINTAINED BYChina Legal Portal Editorial
LAST REVIEWED