摘要
自从2024年开始，境内商业银行伴随着中国企业的“出海”，其为境外主体提供跨境融资或接受境外主体提供担保的“跨境业务”也体现为突飞猛进的态势，为此，对于境外主体向中国境内银行申请融资及/或提供担保是否符合当地法律及监管要求，以及衍生出的诸多疑虑，已成为了境内商业银行最为关心的核心问题之一。接下来，我们将会针对境内商业银行在主要涉及的国家及地区跨境业务中所关心的问题进行分析并形成系列文章，以期对境内商业银行在开展跨境业务时提供些许帮助。本篇文章便以目前商业银行跨境业务所涉及比较集中的国家——开曼主体在融资及担保业务中遇到的常见问题简析作为该等系列文章的第三篇。
一、开曼是否允许境内主体以境外保证金向境外贷款人提供质押担保；
开曼群岛法律允许开曼公司（境内主体）以境外保证金、境外账户资金等境外财产向境外贷款人提供质押担保。根据CAYMAN ISLANDS COMPANIES ACT (2026 Revision)（以下简称“《CA 2026》”）第27条第(2)款规定[1]，公司自成立之日起具有完全法律能力，可行使具有完全民事行为能力的自然人的全部权利，有权以其任何财产（无论位于何地）设定抵押、质押、押记等任何形式的担保。同时，根据该法第28条第(1)款规定[2]，公司的担保行为不得仅因缺乏权限而无效，对外质押担保具有完整法律效力。此外，根据该法第54条第(1)款规定[3]，公司仅需将担保事项记入内部抵押及押记登记册，无需向开曼监管机构办理审批、备案或登记。
二、开曼法律是否允许担保协议适用境外法律（如中国法）；
开曼群岛法律允许担保协议约定适用境外法律（含中国法）。《CA 2026》未对担保协议的准据法作出任何限制性规定，依据开曼普通法冲突法规则及当事人意思自治原则，当事人可自由约定担保协议适用任何司法管辖区的法律，开曼法院将承认并执行该等合法有效的法律选择。
此外，根据开曼群岛律师的意见，如相关协议中适用法律的约定，涉及下述法律均不得约定适用境外法律：（1）法院认定具有程序性质的法律；（2）税收或刑法；或（3）适用该等法律将与开曼群岛法律所解释的公共政策相抵触的法律。
三、开曼法律对担保文本是否要求公证认证？是否可以使用中文；
根据《CA 2026》第81条第(1)款第(b)项[4]以及第85条规定[5]，公司合同及担保文件仅需由经授权人员本人签字即生效，但根据中国境内银行金融机构的要求，通常会要求除授权人员本人签字外，还需加盖公章（如有公章）。开曼法律未要求担保协议或文本办理公证、认证、领事认证或海牙认证，也无需取得开曼及其下辖地区任何政府机关、公共机构或主管部门的命令、同意、批准、许可、授权、认证或豁免，亦不以该等程序作为生效条件。
同时，《CA 2026》未对合同文本语言作出任何强制性规定，担保文件可使用中文订立，其合法效力不受语言形式影响。
四、开曼法律下担保有哪些完善措施？是否需办理相关登记？
根据《CA 2026》第54条第(1)款规定[6]，开曼公司对其财产设定抵押或押记的，仅需办理内部登记，无需向开曼群岛总登记局（Cayman Islands General Registry）或任何政府、监管机构办理外部审批、备案或公开登记。
（1）需要办理押记的财产
开曼法律要求登记的担保为对公司财产设定的抵押或押记（涉及财产优先受偿权的担保），包括但不限于：动产、不动产、股份、股权、应收账款、银行账户、知识产权、合同权利、未来资产及公司全部资产等。
但需注意，因保证担保不涉及对特定财产的优先受偿权，因此无需办理抵押/押记登记。
（2）担保完善措施
开曼法律要求担保须完成内部抵押及押记登记册登记，无公开登记制度，亦无向注册官提交备案的强制要求。
根据《CA 2026》第54条第(1)款、第(2)款[7]规定，开曼公司须在总登记局置备书面形式的内部抵押及押记登记册，记录所有对公司财产有特定影响的抵押及押记的关键信息。该项内部登记义务是对开曼公司本身的一种约束，未办理内部登记不影响担保的有效性和可执行性，但会导致公司及相关责任人员面临法定罚款；此外，根据我们与开曼律师的沟通认为，未做内部登记的相关担保将劣后于已登记担保，且在担保人清算时，相关债权在清算人及债权人之间仅按照一般债权处理。即未办理内部登记不影响担保的有效性及可执行性，但在作为担保人的开曼公司清算时将影响担保权利人对担保物所享有的优先受偿权。
根据《CA 2026》第54条第(3)款[8]规定，债权人有权对内部抵押及押记登记册进行查阅，若开曼公司拒绝债权人查阅，则作出拒绝查阅的公司高级人员，以及授权或故意纵容该项拒绝的每名董事和管理人员均需被予以罚款。
此外，为确保内部抵押及押记登记册所登记信息的准确性，建议在办理前述登记时应由债权人委托开曼律师向公司的开曼注册办事处服务机构（Cayman registered office provider）提交押记申请材料，办妥后可要求开曼注册办事处服务机构向银行提供经认证的副本，以供债权人留存备查。
（3）登记期限
根据现行有效的开曼法律，未对内部抵押及押记登记的办理期限作出明确强制性规定。但实务中，参照开曼公司法关于公司信息备案的30日常规时限要求及离岸融资市场惯例，通常于担保文件签署后合理期限内（一般为14日内或不超过30日）完成内部登记，以符合及时记录义务并避免相关人员面临处罚风险。
五、开曼主体在签署交易文件时如何判断有效授权？担保人签署和履行担保文件应获何种内/外部批准或授权手续？
开曼公司对外担保及文件签署由董事会全权授权，无需外部审批。
（1）有效授权判断
根据《CA 2026》第27条第(2)款及第28条第(1)款规定，公司享有完全法律能力与权限，对外签署及履行担保文件的有效授权以合法有效的董事会决议为核心依据，签字人身份须与董事登记名册、在职证明一致。
（2）内部手续
必须取得董事会决议，根据《CA 2026》第27条第(2)款、第28条第(1)款及开曼实务惯例，董事可通过董事会会议决议或书面决议授权签署担保文件，无需股东会批准：
a.如为董事会书面决议，除非公司章程另有规定，通常由全体董事签字即生效；
b.如为董事会会议决议，除非公司章程对法定人数另有约定，通常2名董事出席即满足法定人数要求，会议纪要由会议主席签字即生效；为审慎起见，建议要求全体出席董事一并签字确认。
（3）外部批准
根据《CA 2026》第27条第(2)款、第28条第(1)款规定，公司享有完全的对外担保权限，业务与事务由董事会全权管理。开曼公司对外提供担保无需股东（会）批准，亦无需任何政府机构或监管机构的审批、许可或备案。
六、开曼主体在签署交易文件时如何判断有效签署？担保文件是否必须采用契据方式签署？如何判断担保文件签署符合契据方式？
（1）有效签署判断
依据《CA 2026》第81条第(1)款第(b)项[9]及第85条[10]规定，交易文件的签署符合以下条件即为有效签署：
a.签字人系经董事会决议或授权文件合法授权的董事、秘书或授权代理人；
b.签字人身份与董事名册、在职证明、授权文件所载信息一致；
c.以书面形式签署，无需盖章、公证或认证即可对公司产生约束力。
（2）是否必须采用契据（Deed）
依据以往开曼律师意见，开曼群岛对契据的认定及签署的规定与其他普通法法域有显著差异，除非文件中明确声明该文件以契据方式签署（state the document to be executed as a deed），否则担保合同、质押协议、抵押协议等均无需强制采用契据方式，由授权人员签署即有效并可强制执行。
（3）契据签署判断标准
依据《CA 2026》第81条第(1)款第(a)项[11]规定，一份文件构成有效契据（Deed）需同时满足：
a.文内明确表述“executed as a Deed”（作为契据签署）；
b.满足法定签署形式之一：
(i)由两名董事代表公司签署；或
(ii)由一名董事以及公司秘书代表公司签署；或
(iii)加盖公司公章（common seal）；
c.表面清晰表明当事人意图使文件构成契据。
七、开曼是否有公司公章、是否认可名章？
开曼法律不强制要求公司设有公章，亦不认可名章作为法定有效签署方式。根据《CA 2026》第84条第(1)款[12]规定，公司可自愿设置公章（Common Seal），但并非法定义务，公章仅为商业惯例使用，法律未要求公章印模须留存于注册代理人或任何机构。
同时，《CA 2026》未认可名章、签字章具有独立法律效力，根据《CA 2026》第81条第(1)款第(b)项、第85条规定，公司文件仅需经董事会决议明确授权的董事、秘书或授权代理人签署，即构成有效签署。
实践中，除非待签署的文件（非契据）中生效条件明确需要加盖公章，否则该份文件无需加盖公章，仅经董事会决议明确授权的董事、秘书或授权代理人作为有权签字人签字后即生效。
但基于商业银行的特殊性，建议若开曼公司设有公章，则在待签署文件生效条件中需明确有权签字人签字并加盖公章生效；若开曼公司未设有公章，则待签署文件生效条件需明确为有权签字人签字生效。
八、中国法院判决能否在开曼获承认和执行？
根据开曼律师意见，开曼群岛法院将认可境外法院基于交易文件就公司作出的终局性对人判决为有效判决，包括境外法院作出的金钱给付判决（不包括因惩罚性多倍损害赔偿、税款或其他同类规费，或是罚金、其他处罚而需支付的款项）；在特定情形下，亦认可境外法院作出的非金钱救济类对人判决，并可据此作出相应裁判，但须同时满足下列条件：(1)作出该判决的境外法院对案件当事人享有合法管辖权；(2)境外法院的审理程序未违反开曼群岛自然正义原则；(3)该判决并非通过欺诈手段取得；(4)执行该判决不会违背开曼群岛公共政策；(5)开曼群岛法院作出裁判前，无本案新的可采信证据提交；(6)相关程序完全符合开曼群岛法定程序要求。
但值得关注的是，因本所律师作为中国境内执业律师，仅得通过公开渠道检索，并基于以往经验及对相关问题的理解，对相关问题进行分析，如开曼法律或开曼司法实践等对该等问题有相反或不同之规定或理解或解释，应以其规定或理解或解释为准。
注释
[1] From the date of incorporation, the subscribers of the memorandum of association, together with such other persons as may, from time to time, become members of the company, shall be a body corporate by the name contained in the memorandum of association, capable forthwith of exercising all the functions of a natural person of full capacity irrespective of any question of corporate benefit, and having perpetual succession with power to hold lands but with such liability on the part of the members to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up as is provided in this Act. This subsection applies to companies incorporated before, on or after the 18th January, 1988.
[2] No act of a company and no disposition of real or personal property to or by a company shall be invalid by reason only of the fact that the company was without capacity or power to perform the act or to dispose of or receive the property, but the lack of capacity or power may be asserted —
(a) in proceedings by a member or a director against the company to prohibit the performance of any act, or the disposition of real or personal property by or to the company; and
(b) in proceedings by the company, whether acting directly or through a liquidator or other legal representative or through members of the company in a representative capacity, against the incumbent or former officers or directors of the company for loss or damage through their unauthorised act.
[3] Every limited company shall keep at its registered office in writing on one or more sheets, whether bound or unbound, a register of all mortgages and charges specifically affecting property of the company, and shall enter in such register in respect of each mortgage or charge a short description of the property mortgaged or charged, the amount of charge created and the names of the mortgagees or persons entitled to such charge.
[4] any contract or other instrument which, if made between private persons, would be by law required to be in writing and signed by the parties to be charged therewith may be made on behalf of the company in writing, signed by any person acting under the express or implied authority of the company; and
[5] A document or proceeding requiring authentication by a company may be signed by a director, secretary or other authorised officer of the company.
[6] Every limited company shall keep at its registered office in writing on one or more sheets, whether bound or unbound, a register of all mortgages and charges specifically affecting property of the company, and shall enter in such register in respect of each mortgage or charge a short description of the property mortgaged or charged, the amount of charge created and the names of the mortgagees or persons entitled to such charge.
[7] If any property of the company is mortgaged or charged without such entry as aforesaid being made, every director, manager or other officer of the company who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the omission of such entry, shall incur a penalty of one hundred dollars.
[8] The register of mortgages required by subsection (1) shall be open to inspection by any creditor or member of the company at all reasonable times; and if such inspection is refused, any officer of the company refusing the same, and every director and manager of the company authorising or knowingly and wilfully permitting such refusal shall incur a penalty of four dollars for every day during which such refusal continues; and in addition to the above penalty, the Judge sitting in chambers may, by order, compel an immediate inspection of the register.
[9] any contract or other instrument which, if made between private persons, would be by law required to be in writing and signed by the parties to be charged therewith may be made on behalf of the company in writing, signed by any person acting under the express or implied authority of the company; and
[10] A document or proceeding requiring authentication by a company may be signed by a director, secretary or other authorised officer of the company.
[11] a contract or other instrument which, if made between individuals, would by law be required to be in writing, and to be made by deed or under seal, and a deed or instrument under seal may be made by instrument —
(i) sealed with any seal of the company; or
(ii) which is executed on behalf of the company by any person acting under the express or implied authority of the company and which is either expressed to be executed as, or otherwise makes clear on its face it is intended to be, a deed or instrument under seal;
[12] A company may maintain a common seal, which shall bear the name of the company in legible characters, which may, at the discretion of the company, be followed with or preceded by its dual foreign name or its translated name, if any, or both at such place as the company may, from time to time, determine and in default of any such determination, at its registered office, and may, if so authorised by its articles of association, maintain a duplicate seal or seals, each of which shall be a facsimile of its common seal at such place or places throughout the world as it may authorise and any such duplicate seal may, but shall not be obliged to, bear on its face the name of any country, territory, district, or place where it is to be used.
