This book employs deductive and inductive reasoning within traditional civil law normative analysis, supplemented by legal historical sociology research methods, to precisely trace the developmental trajectory and societal operational patterns of the law of obligations. Based on this, it derives both the intrinsic and extrinsic systems of the General Provisions on Obligations. By elucidating the contextual significance and systemic functions of the General Principles of Obligations, this monograph achieves theoretical integration between the Contract Law and Tort Law sections of the Chinese Civil Code, thereby enhancing the code's systemic efficacy. From historical, systemic, and functional perspectives, it comprehensively analyzes the legislative and academic origins of the General Principles, their internal and external frameworks, and their roles in value coordination and normative unification. It simultaneously demonstrates how internal system values achieve coherent integration, how external system efficacy is maximized, and the mediating role of flexible system theory in reconciling conflicts between the two. Furthermore, adopting a micro-level perspective, the book explores the normative functions of the General Principles of Obligations as manifested in doctrines such as unified restitution claims, joint and several liability, and competing claims on a debt. This jurisprudential monograph is intended for civil law scholars worldwide.

Xie Hongfei, a distinguished researcher and a PHD supervisor at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), is honored as one of “The Eighth National Top Ten Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Jurists”, the national level talent of “Million Talents Project”, and one of the “Young and Middle-aged Experts with Outstanding Contributions”. As the Director of the Civil Law Office of the Institute of Law, CASS, he concurrently holds the positions of Vice President of the Civil Law Research Association of China Law Society, invited executive expert for the Supreme People's Court, and consulting expert of civil and administrative cases for the Supreme People's Procuratorate. He served as the deputy head and secretary-general of the Codification Group of the Civil Code of China, involved throughout in the drafting and formulation of the Code.