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Legal Reform And The Chongquing Effect: Two Steps Forward One Step Back?, Veronica Pastor

University of Baltimore Journal of International Law

For those steeped in the Western legal tradition, the Chinese political and legal system is, in the famous words of Winston Churchill, a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.1 Of course, Churchill was describing the potential actions of Russia, not China.2 But, to continue borrowing from Churchill, perhaps there is a key – Chinese national interest and the interest of the Chinese Communist Party.3 This research explores the interaction between political, economic, and legal reform, and posits that the Chongqing incident4 was ultimately a positive turning point in the country’s institutional development. The theory presented herein is that …