International Law Commons^™

Mandating Proactive Algorithmic Accountability: A Study Of Legal, Economic, And Technological Challenges In Combating Human Trafficking On Chinese Social Media Platforms, Haoyu Dong

Northwestern Journal of Human Rights

Human trafficking increasingly relies on digital platforms, where algorithms connect traffickers with buyers, amplify illicit content, and facilitate transactions at an unprecedented scale. Yet China's legal framework remains largely reactive, imposing liability on platforms only after illegal content has been detected and removed. This Article argues that such a notice-and-takedown approach is no longer sufficient to combat trafficking in an algorithm-driven online environment.

This Article proposes a proactive model of algorithmic accountability. It contends that digital platforms should be held legally responsible when they fail to design, monitor, and refine their algorithms to prevent the dissemination and amplification of trafficking-related …

Seamless Security: Reforming Export Controls For A Stronger Allied Defense Industrial Base, Justin Belcher

San Diego International Law Journal

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s accelerating military modernization underscore the need for the United States and its allies to reinforce their defense industrial bases to deter and prevail in future conflicts. This paper examines the historical and strategic foundations driving the need for export control reform, identifies key U.S. export control laws governing defense coproduction and co-development, and analyzes how current regulations constrain allied industrial integration. It concludes by proposing solutions to streamline export control regulations to improve the strength and resilience of the modern defense industrial base.

The Challenges Of International Maritime Treaty Enforcement: Examining Outcomes Of The South Sea And Red Sea Dispute, Sofia Roshan Hope Gellada

Senior Theses

The challenges of enforcing international treaty obligations are explored through the lens of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its newly introduced addendum, the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement. Through a detailed analysis of two case studies—the South China Sea Dispute and the Red Sea Dispute—this paper highlights the significant obstacles to treaty enforcement, particularly in contexts of power imbalances. Both disputes, arbitrated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, reveal a troubling pattern of non-compliance by stronger states, such as China and Eritrea, despite legally binding rulings. These findings underscore the limitations of …

The Times They May Be A–Changin’: A Look Into Cuba’S Future For Property Rights And Restitution Through 3 Lenses, Patrick M. Denny

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

After the 1959 Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro took power and instituted a new regime that formed itself into a communist stronghold of the global south. With this new government came curtailment of private property rights, effectuated in government confiscation and limitation in private ownership opportunity. As many Cubans and foreign persons/entities had their residential, rural/agricultural, and commercial/industrial property confiscated, demands for restitution over the years has grown, particularly through US–led efforts. As Cuba has begun to soften to the idea of private property, as evidenced in its new 2019 Constitution, this Note seeks to analyze how property rights in Cuba …

Analyzing The Role And Impact Of Energy Resources On The South China Sea Dispute, Adam Opp

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The South China Sea is a critical but contested body of water that has been the source of much international debate and focus. The sea is a strategic maritime route and one of the most important waterways for regional and global trade. The South China Sea features rich natural resources such as fisheries and hydrocarbons, especially unknown amounts of oil and natural gas remaining untapped throughout the sea. Geological surveys estimate extremely lucrative quantities of oil and natural gas in the South China Sea, which drives the conflict, as nations with competing territorial claims seek to control not just the …

Out From The Shadows: Party Documents In Chinese Courts, Benjamin L. Liebman, Eva Gao, Xiaohan Wu, Rachel E. Stern, Margaret Roberts

Faculty Scholarship

The Communist Party’s influence over the Chinese legal system is generally assumed to be behind the scenes, largely invisible to outside observers. Since General Secretary Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, there has been renewed attention within and outside of China to the relationship between the Communist Party and the legal system. Much of this recent writing has emphasized the degree to which Xi’s efforts to affirm Party superiority and break down barriers between the Party and the State reflects a profound shift in governance and a reversal of a decades-long effort to distinguish between Party roles and those …

How Domestic Institutions Shape The Global Tech War, Anu Bradford, Eileen Li, Matthew C. Waxman

Faculty Scholarship

The United States (U.S.), China, and the European Union (EU) are engaged in a national security-driven economic competition over advanced technology. Many scholars and commentators focus on the external dimension of this geopolitical contest; that is, they describe the strategic choices by each actor in terms of geopolitical realities, threat perceptions, and relative power. However, this Article brings to the fore the internal dimension of the global tech war. We argue that each player’s strategy in the tech war is a function of its internal features, including basic constitutional powers, domestic legal institutions, and the relationships between the government and …

Normative Contestation In The International Order: Is China Remaking Global Governance?, Kal Raustiala

International Law Studies

This essay explores China’s approach to global order. China’s remarkable rise has coincided with increasing engagement with the institutions of global governance. These institutions—in particular the United Nations—make up the core of what U.S. leaders have often referred to as the liberal world order or the rules-based order. Many U.S. officials see China as a deep threat intent on challenging, and perhaps even seeking to replace, this rules-based order. This essay, however, makes the case that China’s near-term goals for global governance appear more modest. Much of China’s behavior within institutions such as the UN suggests that what it seeks …

An Integrated Approach Can Improve China’S Food Additives Security, Qian Li, Jingru Hou, Jennifer S. Stevenson, Cihui Liu

Faculty Articles

In China, the development of food additives remains a critical challenge in food additives security research. We discuss an integrated approach that can improve China’s food additives security, including technical management, standards implementation, and punitive damages regime. Through this integration, we identify that technical management, standards implementation, and punitive damages regime are each complementary to each other. Technical management helps reduce the inherent risks of food additives beforehand. Standards implementation helps prevent and control risks of food additives use halfway. Punitive damages regime helps relieve secondary risks arising from food additives use. Crucially, this integration enhances the suitability of food …

China In Global Digital Trade Governance: Towards A Development-Oriented Agenda?, Yujia He, Ka Zeng

Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Faculty Publications

Existing literature on the behaviour of rising powers in global trade governance has yielded inconclusive evidence about their role and impact. This article contributes to this literature by examining China's role in global digital trade governance, an issue area which so far has not received sufficient scholarly attention. Specifically, it addresses the following question: as a self-proclaimed leader of the developing world in digital development, to what extent do its preferences and negotiation approach align with the interests of other developing countries? Analysing China's participation in three sets of negotiations using process tracing, the article argues that China's dual identity …

Does Black-Letter Law Matter In Labor Rights Protection In China? - A Tale Of Two Cities, Peter Chi Hin Chan

Washington International Law Journal

This article discusses the role of black-letter law in labor protection in China in cases where employers dismiss employees on the grounds of serious breaches of internal regulations. This article presents an empirical analysis of the judicial practice of two of China’s economically developed cities, Suzhou and Wuxi. Suzhou employers have to give employees the opportunity to be heard prior to dismissal, while Wuxi does not provide that opportunity. First, this article introduces the Chinese labor legislation system, the dismissal system, and the two cities’ local labor regulations. Second, the article will analyze and discuss 140 cases from Suzhou and …

Help The People Help The Governments Help The Planet: Using Markets To Meet The Goals Of The Paris Agreement, Rachel Braby

San Diego International Law Journal

The urgency of the climate challenge requires that we address it in every way we can. Yet, current domestic regulations are insufficient to rise to the occasion, and there appears to be no plan geared toward harnessing the power of collective consumer action to supplement government efforts and push industries in the private sector to engage in greener practices. A majority of developed nations have mixed market-driven economies, and in such economies, consumers have immense power to drive change. Paris Agreement nations with mixed market-driven economies should incorporate a strategic plan in their next NDCs that “represent[s] a progression” beyond …

From Within: The Influence Of Domestic Non-State Actors On China’S International Legal Policies, Chaoyi Jiang, Li Chen

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Beijing’s growing global influence has led to increased Chinese participation in various international initiatives, many of which intersect with international law, from trade to climate change. This has prompted scholars to focus more on China’s engagement with international law, aiming to develop effective strategies for interacting with this emerging global power.

Any analysis of international law’s role in a domestic system must consider the relevant actors, their influences, the issues they address, and the prevailing legal regime. This article offers new insights into Chinese policy formation by examining how influential domestic groups impact decision-making on specific public international law issues, …

Break Their Lineage, Break Their Roots: Investigating The Chinese Government’S Relationship With The Uyghur Population To Determine The Potential For Terrorism And Genocide, Anya Veinberg

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

History is wrought with war, crime, and persecution. After nearly every conflict, world leaders vow to never let something similar happen again. Yet, history seems to repeat itself, and so do its conflicts. The Holocaust claimed the lives of millions of Jews and seemed to set a precedent of a modern threshold of evil. How many people would argue that an event strikingly similar to the Holocaust is happening right now in China?

The Chinese government is currently committing acts of violence and faith and race-based discrimination against the Uyghur population.

This work analyzes the interaction between the Chinese government …

Walking The Tightrope: Protecting Research From Foreign Exploitation While Fostering Relationships With Foreign Scientists, C. John Cox

SLU Law Journal Online

In response to extensive foreign efforts to take advantage of U.S. scientific research, especially by the People’s Republic of China, the United States has taken steps to protect its scientific and technology efforts. Although steps to prevent foreign government exploitation of U.S. research are reasonable and justified, the United States should be cognizant of these actions' impact on collaboration with foreign scientists. It is in the interest of the United States to effect policy that fosters relationships with foreign scientists rather than push them away.

Belt And Road Initiative: Legal Mechanism To Recover Stolen Assets, Veltrice Tan

Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy

Purpose: This paper aims to determine the types of legal mechanisms that authorities can use to recover stolen assets for and from China. Design/methodology/approach: Newspaper articles and books are examined as are relevant reports by various regulatory authorities and academic institutions. Findings: The effectiveness of legal mechanisms in the recovery of stolen assets may be affected by issues such as the difficulties in tracing illicit funds, the ambiguous nature of “value” as well as the rise in technology. Research limitations/implications: There are limited data available in relation to the prevalence of corrupt officials along the Belt and Road Initiative and …

The Belt And Road Initiative: Conflict Of Laws And Dispute Resolution, Veltrice Tan

Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy

Purpose: This paper aims to determine the adaptability of China’s legal system in recognizing and enforcing foreign judgements in China. Design/methodology/approach: Academic articles, case law and books are examined as are relevant reports by various regulatory authorities and organizations. Findings: Historically, Chinese courts have strictly adhered to “de facto reciprocity”, which made it difficult for foreign judgements to be recognized and enforced in China. Fortunately, Chinese courts have since abandoned their rigid adherence to de facto reciprocity, and have instead, used flexible tests of reciprocity such as de jure reciprocity, reciprocal commitment and reciprocal understand/consensus. Accordingly, this would facilitate the …

An Analytical Examination Of The Inefficacy Of China’S Independent Director System: A Comparative Perspective, Nanzhu Wang

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of China’s independent director (ID) system in listed companies following the 2023 regulatory reforms enacted by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). These reforms raised the independence standards for IDs by broadening disqualification criteria and modifying the appointment mechanisms. Despite the establishment of an ID system this century and the recent enhanced standards, empirical evidence indicates persistent shortcomings in China’s ID mechanism. Many of the positive outcomes initially attributed to IDs—such as improved internal control or better firm performance—cannot conclusively isolate IDs’ independence or expertise as the true cause. In contrast, negative evidence, which specifically …

Coastal Conflict: How International Law Addresses China's Claims In The South China Sea, Madeline H. Broshears

Tenor of Our Times

The South China Sea is home to natural resources and reefs that benefit its surrounding states. International law divides these waters to grant certain rights to each coastal state so as to ensure fair distribution of the waters. As of late, China’s actions in the South China Sea frequently violate the distribution of waters under international law. They have infringed upon the Philippine’s waters and attempted to establish authority over most of the South China Sea, rather than remaining within their own waters. Thus, the Philippines filed arbitration against China, and the ruling rebuked China’s behavior in the South China …

Walking The Red Carpet: Hollywood And Censorship In China, Sheryl Soundar

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Law In Books Versus Law In Action In The Landmark Shenzhen, China, Personal Bankruptcy Regime, Jason J. Kilborn

Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal

The first personal bankruptcy regime in Mainland China celebrated its second anniversary on March 1, 2023. An empirical assessment of the law in action during these first two years reveals some troubling deviations from the early promises of the new law on the books. In the first year, a handful of judges were charged with an arduous in-person review process for over 1,000 applicants, and they accepted only twenty-five for case initiation. In the second year, initial case review was delegated to an administrative body—an important efficiency enhancement that tripled the number of opened cases. Nonetheless, most debtors continue to …

China’S Strategic Calculus: A Comparative Analysis Of China’S Approaches Towards The Philippines And Vietnam In The South China Sea Dispute, Letian Wang

CMC Senior Theses

The South China Sea (SCS) dispute is a longstanding territorial conflict involving several surrounding states. In this paper, I analyze the differences in China’s policies towards the Philippines and Vietnam as China exerts its expansion into the SCS using relevant International Relations theories. The Philippines’ democratic values, alliance with the U.S., small-scale volume of trade with China, and active strategies against China all contradict China’s interests to be the regional hegemonic power. In contrast, Vietnam’s socialist regime, alliance with China, substantial trade with China, and passive strategies do not contradict China’s interests as much and even comply with them. Hence, …

Two Decades Of Trips In China, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

This chapter reviews China’s engagement with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in the past twenty years. It begins by highlighting TRIPS-related developments in the first decade of China’s WTO membership. The chapter then discusses the country’s ‘innovative turn’ in the mid-2000s and the ramifications of its changing policy positions. This chapter continues to examine the US-China trade war, in particular the second TRIPS complaint that the United States filed against China in March 2018. It concludes with observations about the impact of the TRIPS Agreement on China, China’s impact on that agreement and how the …

Falling Stars And Sinking Ships: How Article Vii Of The Outer Space Treaty Needs Maritime Law, Mckenzie Franck

Pace International Law Review

The urge to go where no man has gone before has led to great leaps in space technology that only seemed real in cinema. As more private companies, such as private asteroid mining companies in China, attempt to take this leap, it has become clear that there are significant gaps in international space law regarding liability with private parties. Within Article VII of the Outer Space Treaty, there is a laid-out structure on how states can be held liable for damages caused by celestial bodies. However, the Outer Space Treaty ignores what happens if a private company causes injuries in …

Fostering Resilience Within Ecological Civilization: Contributions Of Environmental Law, Nicholas A. Robinson

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

My presentation will examine water, to illustrate the questions that Ecological Civilization presents. I shall address five points: (1) Often proposals for attaining Ecological Civilization raise issues relevant to environmental law, but do not examine the roles that environmental law can serve; (2) environmental law is essential to resolving unsustainable water management issues; (3) scientific studies indicate that trends in global environmental degradation limit the time available for implementing reforms to attain Ecological Civilization; (4) environmental legal systems for environmental impact assessment (EIA) can accelerate efforts to attain Ecological Civilization; and (5) For Ecological Civilization to ensure a firm foundation …

Anatomy Of China’S Maritime Strategy: Threatening The Maritime Order Through Its National Legislation And Self-Centered Interpretation Of Unclos, Shigeki Sakamoto

International Law Studies

While the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) establishes an objective framework for the coordinated handling of the use of the sea by States in the exercise of their legislative, judicial, and executive powers, China’s legislative bodies, in enacting domestic laws for the fulfillment of treaty obligations, distort obligations in its domestic laws to secure their own national interests. For example, Article 6.2 of China’s Territorial Sea Law violates articles of UNCLOS by denying the right of innocent passage. In addition, China is extending its jurisdiction over security to the contiguous zone with Article 13 …

A Private Bargaining And Efficient Breach Approach To The Problem Of Us-China Trade: Bringing A Non-Violation Case In The Wto, Daniel C.K. Chow, Ian M. Sheldon

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

When Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump to become president of the United States in 2020, many observers hoped that Biden would reset the troubled US-China trade relationship. The Trump administration had abandoned the rules-based approach to international trade of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and adopted a power-based approach instead. Using a power-based approach, the United States imposed or threatened sanctions if China did not dismantle its state-led economy and terminate the use of industrial subsidies to support its domestic industries. The United States also crippled the dispute settlement system of the WTO so that nations could not challenge US …

A Fake Future: The Threat Of Foreign Disinformation On The U.S. And Its Allies, Brandon M. Rubsamen

Global Tides

This paper attempts to explain the threat that foreign disinformation poses for the United States Intelligence Community and its allies. The paper examines Russian disinformation from both a historical and contemporary context and how its effect on Western democracies may only be exacerbated in light of Chinese involvement and evolving technologies. Fortunately, the paper also studies practices and strategies that the United States Intelligence Community and its allied foreign counterparts may use to respond. It is hoped that this study will help shed further light on Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns and explain how the Intelligence Community can efficiently react.

Pandemic As Transboundary Harm: Lessons From The Trail Smelter Arbitration, Russell A. Miller

Scholarly Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused incalculable harm around the world. The fact that this immense harm can be traced back to a localized outbreak in or near Wuhan, China, raises questions about the responsibility China might bear for the pandemic under public international law. Famously applied in the seminal Trail Smelter Arbitration (1938/1941), the Transboundary Harm Principle provides that no state can use or allow the use of its territory in a manner that causes significant harm in the territory of other states. This article does not intend to tap into the unseemly, xenophobic spirit that animates much of the …

The Application Of Law As A Key To Understanding Judicial Independence, Tahirih V. Lee

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.