This article discusses and analyses one of the most popular commercial contracts in China: private lending agreement. It refers to moneylending arrangements between a business borrower and its debt investors. Millions of private businesses in China, having limited access to the state-dominated...

Introduction -- Private lending market: historical evolution and operating mechanism -- The private lending crisis : cause, effect, and risk -- The legal framework of private lending -- Regulating private lending : rationale and practice -- The future of private lending -- Conclusion.

Mr Ding Hui, the chairman and chief executive of a Hong Kong-listed fashion retailer, Fujian Nuoqi Co Ltd, suddenly went missing in July 2014. As a result, the company's share price slumped by more than 50% in three consecutive days. It remained mysterious about Mr Ding's motivation for...