(1) the Premier of the State Council, the Minister of Foreign Affairs;

　　(2) the head of a diplomatic mission of the People's Republic of China who negotiates and signs treaties and agreements concluded between China and the state to which he is accredited, unless it is otherwise agreed by the contracting parties;

　　(3) the head of a governmental department of the People's Republic of China who negotiates and signs the agreements concluded in the name of his department, unless it is otherwise agreed by the contracting parties;

　　(4) the person, dispatched to an international conference or accredited to an international organization by the People's Republic of China, who is at the same time the representative for negotiating treaties or agreements in that conference or organization, unless it is otherwise agreed by the conference or otherwise provided for in the constitution of the organization.

　　Article 7

　　The ratification of treaties and important agreements shall be decided upon by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

　　The treaties and important agreements referred to in the preceding paragraph are as follows:

　　(1) treaties of friendship and cooperation, treaties of peace and similar treaties of a political nature;

　　(2) treaties and agreements relating to territory and delimitation of boundary lines;

　　(3) treaties and agreements relating to judicial assistance and extradition;

　　(4) treaties and agreements which contain stipulations inconsistent with the laws of the People's Republic of China;

　　(5) treaties and agreements which are subject to ratification as agreed by the contracting parties; and

　　(6) other treaties and agreements subject to ratification.

　　After the signing of a treaty or an important agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the department concerned under the State Council in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall submit it to the State Council for examination and verification; the State Council shall then refer it to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for decision on ratification; the President of the People's Republic of China shall ratify it in accordance with the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

　　After the ratification of a bilateral treaty or an important bilateral agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall execute the formalities for the exchange of the instruments of ratification with the other contracting party. After the ratification of a multilateral treaty or an important multilateral agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall execute the formalities for the deposit of the instrument of ratification with the depositary state or international organization. The instrument of ratification shall be signed by the President of the People's Republic of China and countersigned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

　　Article 8

　　After the signing of the agreements and other instruments of the nature of a treaty which do not fall under paragraph 2, Article 7 of this Law and which are subject to approval as prescribed by the State Council or as agreed by the contracting parties, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the departments concerned under the State Council in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall submit them to the State Council for approval. After the approval of agreements and other instruments of the nature of a treaty, in the case of a bilateral one, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall execute the formalities for the exchange of the instruments of approval with the other contracting party or for mutual notification of the approval by diplomatic notes. In the case of a multilateral one, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall execute the formalities for the deposit of the instrument of approval with the depositary state or international organization concerned. The instrument of approval shall be signed by the Premier of the State Council, but may also be signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

　　Article 9

　　After the signing of the agreements which need no decision on ratification by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress or approval by the State Council, the agreements shall be submitted by the departments concerned under the State Council to the State Council for the record, except those agreements concluded in the name of the governmental departments of the People's Republic of China which are to be submitted by these departments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for registration.

　　Article 10