To the Hunan High People's Court and Sichuan High People's Court:

湖南省高级人民法院、四川省高级人民法院：

This is to acknowledge our receipt of the Instruction Request Report on the dispute concerning the purchase and sale contract (Hunan Xiangnan Tobacco (Group) Co. Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the "Xiangnan Group") and Hunan Hengshan Tobacco Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the "Hengshan Corporation.") v. Sichuan Tobacco Corporation Panzhihua Branch (hereinafter referred to as the "Panzhihua Branch")) and other relevant case files. Upon checking the case files from the relevant courts of Sichuan and after discussion, we hereby issue the following notice:

《湖南省高级人民法院关于湖南湘南烟草集团有限责任公司(以下简称湘南集团)与湖南省衡山县烟草公司(以下简称衡山公司)、四川省烟草公司攀枝花分公司(以下简称攀枝花公司)买卖合同纠纷管辖权争议的请示报告》和有关卷宗收悉，在调阅四川省有关法院的相关案卷后，经研究通知如下：

Hunan Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court accepted a case involving the determination of the validity of the relevant contract and compensation for economic losses, filed by the Xiangnan Group against Hengshan Corporation and Panzhihuan Branch. This case involved two legal relationships: the purchase and sale contract between Xiangnan Group and Hengshan Corporation ("Contract") and the repayment agreement arising from the tobacco leaf purchase and sale contract concluded in 1997 between Xiangnan Group and Panzhihuan Branch ("Agreement"). Sichuan Panzhihua Intermediate People's Court accepted a case involving a dispute over the Contract, filed by Panzhihuan Branch against Xiangnan Group. The legal relationship involved in this case was the same as one of the legal relationships involved in the aforementioned case. In the two cases, the legal relationships were both based on the Agreement concluded on August 20, 1997. However, the claims therein were different. The Agreement reflected a different legal relationship from that of the Contract. It was held that, in the two cases, the disputes were over the same payment for tobacco leaves, the legal facts were related, and the legal relationships in the first-mentioned contained that in the after-mentioned case. It was further held that the two cases should be consolidated to avoid conflicting rulings. On January 9, 2001, Hengshan Corporation made a written commitment to Xiangnan Group: if the dispute was not resolved in time, Xiangnan Group may file an action with the Chenzhou Court. After that, Xiangnan Group filed an action with the Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court based on the aforesaid commitment, which does not violate the provisions of the law on jurisdiction by agreement. The Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court that accepted the case shall have jurisdiction over the case. The Sichuan Panzhihua Intermediate People's Court accepted a dispute case filed by the Panzhihua Branch against Xiangnan Group. The case involved a tobacco leaf purchase and sale contract concluded on August 20, 1997, between Panzhihua Branch and Chenzhou Cigarette Factory, a subordinate enterprise of Xiangnan Group. The contract clearly stated that Chenzhou was the place for delivery of goods. In accordance with the provisions of Article 24 of the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China and the Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on How to Determine Place Where a Purchase and Sale Contract is Performed in Determination of Jurisdiction over Cases Involving Economic Disputes numbered "Fa Fa [1996] No. 28", the Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court, as the court at the place where the contract is performed, therefore has jurisdiction over the case. Panzhihua Intermediate People's Court shall have not jurisdiction.

湖南省郴州市中级人民法院受理的湘南集团与衡山公司、攀枝花公司确认、赔偿纠纷一案涉及湘南集团与衡山公司的买卖合同和湘南集团与攀枝花公司因1997年烟叶购销合同引起的还款协议两个法律关系。四川省攀枝花市中级人民法院受理的攀枝花公司诉湘南集团购销合同纠纷一案，与前一案件中的一个法律关系相同，均依据1997年8月20日烟叶购销合同引起的还款协议，但诉讼请求不同。该协议与湘南集团和衡山公司的买卖合同是不同的法律关系。由于两个案件讼争的是同一笔烟叶款，在法律事实上有牵连，法律关系上有包含，应当合并审理，以避免出现矛盾的判决。2001年1月9日，衡山公司向湘南集团书面承诺：如纠纷未及时解决，贵集团可向郴州法院起诉。之后，湘南集团据此向郴州市中级人民法院起诉，不违反法律关于协议管辖的规定，受诉的郴州市中级人民法院对案件有管辖权。四川省攀枝花市中级人民法院受理的攀枝花公司诉湘南集团购销合同纠纷一案，依据的是1997年8月20日攀枝花公司与湘南集团的下属企业郴州卷烟厂签订的烟叶购销合同，该合同明确约定交货地点：郴州。根据《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》第二十四条和我院法发[1996]28号《关于在确定经济纠纷案件管辖中如何确定购销合同履行地问题的规定》，郴州市中级人民法院作为合同履行地法院对案件有管辖权，攀枝花市中级人民法院无管辖权。

Considering the specific situation of this case, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 2 of Article 37 of the Civil Procedure Law, the Hunan High People's Court shall be designated as the first-instance court. The Sichuan High People's Court shall cancel the effective ruling within 15 days as of receipt of this Notice, and notify the Panzhihua Intermediate People's Court to transfer the case to the Hunan High People's Court.

鉴于本案的具体情况，根据《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》第三十七条第二款的规定，本案指定湖南省高级人民法院作为一审法院审理，请四川省高级人民法院在接到本通知起15日内撤销生效裁定，通知攀枝花市中级人民法院将案件移送湖南省高级人民法院合并审理。

February 25, 2003

2003年2月25日