A
lending dispute between a Chinese plaintiff in Xiangyang and a South
African borrower living in Guangdong was settled entirely online. The
borrower acknowledged the full RMB 300,000 principal and agreed to
monthly installments through 2029, with enforcement available if he
misses a payment. It is the first foreign-related private lending
case resolved through mediation in the city’s High-Tech Zone.
一个襄阳人和一个住在广东的南非籍借款人之间的借贷纠纷，全程线上调解解决了。借款人认下30万本金，同意分期还到2029年，逾期未还出借方可以申请强制执行。这是襄阳高新区首例通过调解办结的涉外民间借贷案。
01纠纷由来｜The
Dispute
The
case dates back to January 2021, when Cai and the South African
defendant were working together in Guangdong. The defendant borrowed
RMB 300,000 from Cai in total, through bank transfers, WeChat and
Alipay. By April 2026, he had paid RMB 20,700 in interest but none of
the principal.
纠纷要回溯到2021年1月。当时蔡某和这名南非籍被告一起在广东工作，被告通过银行转账、微信、支付宝，先后向蔡某借了共30万元。到2026年4月，被告只付过2.07万元利息，本金一分没还。
Two
things made this case hard: it crossed regions and involved a foreign
party. Cai lives in Xiangyang; the defendant lives in Guangdong.
Going to court meant higher costs and more complications. Several
rounds of negotiation failed, so Cai turned to the High-Tech Zone’s
Comprehensive Governance Center and applied for mediation.
这个案子难点有俩：跨省，还涉外。蔡某是襄阳常住居民，被告长期在广东生活，走传统诉讼又麻烦又费钱。多次协商没谈拢，蔡某就向高新区综治中心申请了调解。
02线上调解+分开谈｜Online
Mediation, Separate Talks
The
center assigned a professional mediator, who went through the
transaction records, transfer receipts, chat history and the
defendant’s foreign passport to establish the facts. The case
was then handled through online mediation and separate communications
with each side.
综治中心受理后安排了专业调解员。调解员先核了交易记录、转账凭证、聊天记录和被告的外国护照，把事实理清楚，再通过线上调解、分别和双方单线沟通的方式推进。
With
Cai, the mediator eased his concerns and walked him through the risks
of litigation, urging both sides toward reasonable compromise. With
the foreign defendant, the mediator explained the relevant provisions
of China’s Civil Code, including what happens if a debt stays
unpaid: property enforcement, restrictions on leaving China, and
penalties from being listed as a dishonest debtor.
对蔡某，调解员先安抚他的顾虑，讲清诉讼的风险，劝两边都往合理的方向让步。对外籍被告，调解员逐条解释了《民法典》的相关规定，包括欠款不还的后果：财产可能被强制执行、会被限制出境、还可能被列入失信被执行人名单。
03放弃利息换本金｜Interest
Waived for Principal
Taking
the defendant’s repayment ability into account, the mediator
worked with both sides through several rounds to revise the
installment plan. In the end, Cai voluntarily gave up the interest
and liquidated damages in exchange for full repayment of the
principal.
结合被告的实际还款能力，调解员和双方来回商量了几轮，把分期方案改了又改。最后，蔡某自愿放弃利息和违约金，条件是本金全额还清。
The
mediator then arranged a video meeting, explained the agreement
clause by clause, and provided translation help for the foreign
defendant. Both parties signed electronically on an online smart
mediation platform and applied for judicial confirmation.
之后调解员组织了一场视频会议，把协议逐条讲清楚，还给外籍被告提供了翻译协助。双方在在线智能调解平台上电子签署了协议，并申请了司法确认。
04每月还1万｜RMB
10,000 a Month
Under
the agreement, the defendant acknowledged the outstanding principal
of RMB 300,000 and agreed to repay RMB 10,000 by the 25th of each
month from August 2026 through June 2029. If any installment is
overdue, Cai may apply for compulsory enforcement of the entire
remaining balance. A follow-up review found that neither side had
raised any objections.
协议约定：被告确认尚欠本金30万元，从2026年8月起至2029年6月，每月25日前还款1万元。任一期逾期，蔡某就可以就剩余全部款项申请强制执行。事后回访，双方对协议都没有提出异议。
05案例说明什么｜What
It Shows
Online
mediation helped a cross-regional, cross-border dispute get settled
without the cost of litigation, and both sides came out with their
rights protected. The High-Tech Zone’s Peace and Security
Office says it will keep improving its multi-channel dispute
resolution mechanisms, strengthen its capacity for cross-regional and
foreign-related cases, and apply the “Fengqiao Experience”
in building a more law-based business environment.
这起跨区域、涉外纠纷，靠线上调解省下了诉讼成本，双方权益都得到了保障。高新区平安办表示，会继续完善多元化解机制，提升跨区域、涉外纠纷处置能力，把“枫桥经验”用在营造法治化营商环境上。
06一句提醒｜A
Note to Borrowers
The
case carries a clear reminder: being foreign does not make a debt
disappear. Under Chinese law, an unpaid debt can lead to property
enforcement, exit restrictions and a place on the dishonest debtor
list — the same consequences that apply to Chinese citizens. If
repayment becomes a problem, negotiating an installment plan through
mediation beats letting it sit until enforcement arrives.
这个案子最值得外籍借款人记住的一点：外籍身份不是“豁免金牌”。在华欠债不还，同样可能被强制执行财产、限制出境、列入失信名单，和中国公民一个标准。如果确实还不上，主动走调解谈分期，比拖到被强制执行强得多。