Upcoming workshop: China and the Standardization of Digital Technologies

The ECLS, together with the DGA (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Asienkunde) funds a workshop on “China and the Standardization of Digital Technologies” to be held at Humboldt University of Berlin, 10-11 June 2024.

Standards are technical documents that are negotiated by providers of products, services and practices to enable interoperability across different environments. Often barely visible albeit ubiquitous, they constitute a strong form of self-regulation in markets on the one hand, while also increasingly being directly mandated by governments to ensure legal compliance on the other. Standards formalize practices and provide a normative foundation for their predictability and persistence even across national borders, thereby facilitating geopolitical shifts behind the scenes, excluding some actors and including others. Standing out among emerging economies, the Chinese government has recognized the importance of standard-setting early on and invested considerably in building capacity and expertise in standardization over the past 25 years. Today, China’s regulatory framework and practices in digital technologies heavily rely on technical standards. Based on its domestic efforts in standardization and fuelled by its economic power, China also succeeded in moving from standard-taker to global standard-maker. Chinese standards, whether through China’s involvement with standard-setting in international bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)or through de facto standardization by Chinese firms, increasingly permeate regions beyond China’s borders.
At the same time, standardization by Chinese stakeholders must not only be understood as a centralized, top-down, state-driven and planned process. Governmentally authorized technical experts are not the sole contributors in shaping the emergence of new standards, and whether and how they are implemented depends on the interests and strategies pursued by political, economic and societal stakeholders. In China like elsewhere, standards development depends on the input of a wide range of actors along the chain of production, dissemination and use of a standardized good or service. It is therefore imperative to approach standards and standardization through a bottom-up perspective, focusing on the dynamics and power relations that shape the negotiation and application of standards. China’s push for global leadership in standardization may be predominantly perceived as a hegemonial power grab, which is facilitated by China’s massive investments through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and in many economies of the Global South. Nevertheless, the development and use of standards is inevitably grounded in and shaped by the respective local context, so that processes of adaptation and acculturation may heavily influence the global diffusion of Chinese standards.

Feel free to contact the organizers Daniel Sprick, Daniel Fuchs and Marianne von Blomberg at ChinaDigitalStandardsWorkshop@protonmail.com.

Call for Papers: Annual Conference 2023

The 17th Annual Conference of the European China Law Studies Association will be held in Helsinki, Finland, from 20 to 22 September 2023. The conference will be hosted and organized by the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki in cooperation with the Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture.

The ECLS is dedicated to advancing comparative and interdisciplinary research on Chinese law in Europe. The annual conference of the ECLS gathers scholars, legal practitioners and policymakers from all over the world. It is a leading international academic forum for the debate on the development of Chinese law, as well as a platform for the initiation of research collaboration.

Topics

The Annual Conference Organizing Committee is now inviting submissions. The 2023 ECLS Annual Conference will highlight legal issues relating to the topics below. Please note that submissions are not necessarily limited to the listed topics.

  • Legal Issues of EU-China Relations
  • China in the International Legal Order
  • Legal Culture, Legal Traditions and Rule of Law Development
  • Legal Aspects of the Belt and Road Initiative
  • Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
  • Gender Equality in China
  • International Human Rights Protection and the Chinese Legal System
  • Chinese Law, COVID and the Emergency/Pandemic Preparedness
  • Chinese Policy and Presence in the Arctic
  • Sustainable Development and the Role of Regulation
  • Legal and Economic Issues of International Investment
  • Developments in Corporate and Commercial Law
  • Cyber Security, Data Privacy and Personal Information Protection
  • Artificial Intelligence and Ethics, Big Data and Intellectual Property Law
  • Social Credit and the Law, Judicial Reforms and Smart Courts
  • Labour Law Developments, Decent Work and Fundamental Labour Rights
  • Administrative Law and Administrative Procedure
  • China’s Environment, Climate Change and Air Pollution Laws and Policies

Guidelines for Submission

The conference invites submissions of paper abstracts and panel proposals by 19 March 2023, noting that all submissions will be peer-reviewed. Notification of acceptance will be given by 19 April 2023. Full papers should not exceed 8,000 words, and be submitted by 18 June 2023.

Submissions should be entered via the submission page.

Paper Abstracts and Panel Proposals

Abstracts should be limited to 300 words for a paper and panel proposals should be limited to 1,000 words for a panel session. The submissions should include: 1) the title of the paper or panel; 2) name, institution and email address of the author(s); 3) up to five keywords.

Young Scholars Roundtable

The conference welcomes abstracts and proposals from young researchers (PhD candidates, MA students, etc.). Young scholars’ sessions will be organized as roundtables to be moderated by senior researchers.

Important Dates

March 19, 2023 – Submission of abstracts/panel proposals

April 19, 2023 – Notification of acceptance

June 18, 2023 – Submission of full papers

Venue

The Conference will take place at the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Unioninkatu 34, 00100 Helsinki, Finland.

Practical Information

Conference participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs. Relevant practical information will be provided in due course.

For enquiries regarding submissions, please contact Professor Björn Ahl (bjoern.ahl@me.com). Other enquiries concerning visa issues or logistics are to be addressed to Ms. Ngoc Pham (ngoc.pham@helsinki.fi).

More information and updates may be found on the website of the hosts in Helsinki.

Photo by gari.baldi, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Call for Papers: 2024 Annual Conference of the ECLS in Hong Kong

Update: Find the conference program here.

The 18th Annual Conference of the European China Law Studies Association will be held in Hong Kong from 19 to 21 September 2024. The conference will be hosted and organized by the Faculty of Law of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK LAW).

ECLS is dedicated to advancing comparative and interdisciplinary research in Chinese law. Its Annual Conference is recognized as a premier forum for scholars, legal practitioners, and policymakers from around the globe to meet and debate the latest developments in Chinese law. The Annual Conference also serves as a platform for initiating research collaborations.

Topics 

The Annual Conference Organizing Committee is now inviting the submission of paper and panel proposals for the 2024 ECLS Annual Conference. We welcome contributions addressing legal matters related to any China law topic such as – but expressly not limited – to the following:

  • Legal Issues concerning EU-China Relations
  • China and the International Legal Order
  • Legal Culture, Legal Traditions and Rule of Law Development
  • Chinese Jurisprudence and Legal History
  • Legal Aspects of the Belt and Road Initiative
  • Law in the Greater Bay Area
  • Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
  • Gender Equality 
  • Human Rights Protection 
  • Chinese Law Emergency/Pandemic Preparedness
  • Sustainable Development and the Role of Regulation in China
  • Legal and Economic Issues of International Investment
  • Developments in Chinese Corporate and Commercial Law
  • Cyber Security and Data Protection
  • Legal Technologies, Big Data and Smart Courts
  • Cryptocurrencies and China’s Banking and Finance Law
  • Intellectual Property and Chinese Law
  • Social Credit and the Law in China
  • Labour Law Developments, Decent Work and Fundamental Labour Rights
  • Administrative Law and Administrative Procedure
  • Environment, Climate Change and Energy Law and Policies

Keynote Speakers

Professor Björn Ahl from the University of Cologne and Professor Li Guo from Peking University have kindly agreed to present the keynote speeches.

Guidelines for Submission 

The Organizing Committee invites the submission of paper abstracts and panel proposals by 30 April 2024. All submissions will undergo a peer-review process. Submissions should be entered via https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=13684342.

Individual papers abstracts should be confined to 300 words, while panel proposals should not exceed 1,000 words. Submissions must include: (1) the title of the paper or panel, (2) the name, institutional affiliation, and email address of the author(s), and (3) up to five relevant keywords.

The Organizing Committee welcomes abstracts and proposals from emerging researchers, including PhD candidates and MA students. Special sessions for emerging researchers will be organized in the form of roundtables, moderated by seasoned scholars to facilitate enriching discussions.

Important Dates 

30 April 2024 – submission of abstracts/panel proposals

27 May 2024 – notification of acceptance

15 July 2024 – submission of full papers (which should not exceed 8,000 words).

Venue 

The Conference will take place at the CUHK Graduate Law Centre, 2/F, Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Practical Information 

Conference participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs. Additional information concerning logistics and other practical aspects will be provided in due time. Visit the conference website at https://www.law.cuhk.edu.hk/conf/2024/ecls for more details.

Call for Papers: Annual Conference 2022

The 16th Annual Conference of the European China Law Studies Association will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark on 21 to 23 September 2022.

The conference will be hosted and organized by the Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre of Excellence for International Courts (iCourts), Study Hub for International Economic Law and Development (SHIELD) and Centre for Private Governance (CEPRI), Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen.

The ECLS is a major international venue to gather scholars, practitioners and policy makers to debate on the development of law in China from both comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives. The annual conference of the ECLS is a leading international academic forum for the exchange of information and ideas on Chinese law, as well as a platform for the initiation of research collaboration.

Good news for scholars outside of Europe: This year’s conference is held in a hybrid format.

Topics

The Annual Conference Organizing Committee is now inviting submissions for inclusion in the Conference 2022 programme. The 2022 ECLS Annual Conference will highlight legal issues relating to the topics as below. Please note that submissions are not necessarily limited to the listed topics.

  • Legal Issues of EU-China Relations
  • China in the International Legal Order
  • China’s New Structure of Party and State
  • Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of Chinese Law
  • China’s Legal Culture, Legal Traditions and Comparative Law
  • International Courts and Tribunals and the Rule of Law in China
  • China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Global Economic Governance
  • China and the Inbound and Outbound Foreign Investments: Forms of Regulation, Special Economic Zones, Investment Screening
  • Global Circular Supply Chains and Regulations in China
  • Cyber Security, Data Privacy and Personal Information Protection
  • Artificial Intelligence and Ethics, Big Data and Intellectual Property Law
  • China’s Civil Code, Corporate and Securities law
  • China’s Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation Law in Global Context
  • Chinese and Comparative Labor Law
  • New developments in China’s Judicial Reforms and Autonomy of the Legal Profession

    Call for Papers

    European China Law Studies Association Annual Conference 2022 (pdf)

    Important Dates

    • June 20, 2022 – Submission of Abstracts/panel proposals
    • June 25, 2022 –Notification on acceptance
    • September 8, 2022 – Submission of full papers 

    Submission of Papers

    Submissions should be entered via the submission page. Conference participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs. Relevant practical information will be provided in due course.
    The conference invites submissions of paper abstracts and panel proposals by 20 June 2022, noting that all submissions will be peer-reviewed by the organizing committee. Notification of acceptance will be given by 25
    June 2022. Full papers should not exceed 8,000 words, and be submitted by 8 September 2022.

    • Paper Abstract / Panel Session

    Abstracts should be limited to 300 words for a paper and panel proposals should be limited to 1,000 words for a panel session.
    The submissions should include: 1) the title of the paper or panel; 2) name, institution and email address of the author(s); 3) up to five keywords.

    • Young Scholars Roundtable

    The conference welcomes abstracts and proposals from young researchers (PhD candidates, MA students, etc.).
    Young scholars’ sessions will be organized as roundtables to be moderated by senior researchers.

    Contact

    For enquiries regarding submissions, please contact Dr. Wen Xiang (wen.xiang@jur.ku.dk).

    Other enquiries concerning visa issues or logistics are to be addressed to Ms. Maryna Pagels (maryna.pagels@jur.ku.dk).

    Call for Workshop Proposals

    The European China Law Studies Association supports workshops on Chinese law.

    Applicants must be members of ECLS and workshops should be conducted at universities or research institutions in Europe. At least half of the active participants of the workshop should be members of ECLS. The application must contain the name of the organizer/applicant with full contact information, the name of the academic institution, where the workshop will be conducted as well as a title and abstract of the workshop. 

    The amount available is up to 1,200 Euros per workshop. Only costs directly linked to the workshop are eligible for reimbursement such as costs of travel and accommodation of active participants, costs for venue and catering. Applicants should also submit proof of available co-funding.

    We accept applications on a rolling basis. Please submit your application to: bjoern.ahl@uni-koeln.de.

    Call for Workshop Proposals 2019

    The European China Law Studies Association supports workshops on Chinese law in 2019.  

    Applicants must be members of ECLS and workshops should be conducted at universities or research institutions in Europe. At least half of the active participants of the workshop should be members of ECLS. The application must contain the name of the organizer/applicant with full contact information, the name of the academic institution, where the workshop will be conducted as well as a title and abstract of the workshop. 

    The amount available is up to 1,200 Euros per workshop. Only costs directly linked to the workshop are eligible for reimbursement such as costs of travel and accommodation of active participants, costs for venue and catering. Applicants should also submit proof of available co-funding. Please submit your application by 15 March 2019 at: bjoern.ahl@uni-koeln.de.

    2021 ECLS Annual Conference Call for Papers

    15th Annual Conference of the European China Law Studies Association from September 24 – 26. Find the final programme here and register here.

    1. Introduction

    The Polish Research Centre for Law and Economy of China and the University of Warsaw School of Law and Economy of China are happy to join the fine tradition and exciting opportunity to host the Annual Conference of the European China Law Studies Association (ECLS). The conference will take place in Warsaw (Poland).

    2. Main tracks

    We are confident that the Conference will attract a diverse array of scholars and exciting scholarship on a wide range of issues. We expect to structure panels and presentations on a wide variety of topics related to the Chinese legal system. There is no strict category of tracks or themes to which papers must be aligned. Nonetheless, we encourage and particularly invite contributions that address the following themes:

    • Blockchain, big data & artificial intelligence in China
    • Sino-US trade war and its legal implications for Europe
    • Legal aspects of the Belt and Road Initiative
    • Codification of Laws in China
    • Rule of Law and Chinese Constitutionalism
    • Chinese and Comparative Labour Law
    • Legal Issues of Poland-China Relations
    • Chinese law and society
    • China’s new structure of Party and state
    • National supervision law and the new supervisory mechanism
    • New developments in China’s judicial reforms
    • China in the international legal order

    As with previous ECLS conferences, the event is open to any other contributions with regard to Chinese law (as always, broadly conceived), in particular, those addressing China’s recent legal development.

    3. Format

    ECLS aims to ensure diversity in formats of presentation and discussion. We very much encourage the submission of papers for presentation in panels, as well as proposals for full panels or book presentations. Nevertheless, we also encourage proposals for innovative modes of participation that depart from traditional models of interaction.

    We invite submissions as follows, noting that all proposals will be subject to peer-review by the organizing committees:

    Paper abstract: scholars interested in presenting papers are invited to submit an abstract of up to 300 words. Please include: 1) the title of the paper; 2) name, institution and email address of the author(s); 3) up to five keywords.

    Panel session: scholars are also welcome to submit proposals for full panel sessions, which include 4 papers; or 3 papers and a discussant. Proposals (up to 1000 words) should be submitted by the convener of the panel (who can also serve as the chair), and include abstracts of all proposed papers as well as a short integrative statement explaining the theme of the panel (all in one document). Please include also: 1) the title of the panel; 2) name, institution and email address of the author(s); 3) up to five keywords of a panel session.

    Book presentation: scholars who recently published a book around an important Chinese law issue, are invited to propose a panel with 4 speakers (author & discussants). Proposals for a book presentation require a short explanation of the book’s importance and brief biographies of the participants.

    Young scholars format: this year we are looking forward to receiving proposals from young researchers (young postdocs; i.e. 5 years from the PhD award, PhD candidates, MA students). Young scholars’ participation will promote scientific discussion and cooperation with senior colleagues working in the field of Chinese law.

    Alternative formats: we also invite people to signal their interest in other forms of presentation and participation; roundtables or ‘fishbowls’ in which people make short interventions addressing themes or issues from the standpoint of their research, ‘TED’–style short talks on specific topics of interest; moderated or ‘hot seat’ encounters with a guest; films – plus discussion; art exhibits and music. The conference organizers will ensure that papers of presenters in alternative formats are available on the conference website.

    The Polish Research Centre for Law and Economy of China will collaborate with the ECLS in peer-reviewing the submissions.

    4. Key dates

    30 May 2021 – Last day to submit abstracts/panel proposals

    10 June 2021 – Decisions on acceptance of papers/panel proposals

    6 September 2021 – Last day to submit full papers

    Find the final programme here

    6. Venue

    The Conference will take place in Collegium Iuridicum II building (Faculty of Law and Administration University of Warsaw) at Lipowa 4 street in Warsaw. Collegium Iuridicum II building is situated in the Powiśle area, located between the Wisła (Vistula) river and the main Campus of the University. The Powiśle area is a pleasant 5-10 minute walk from the Campus and the Royal Route (Krakowskie Przedmieście street).

    7. Accommodation & lack of fee

    The city features accommodation for all budgets and all occasions – from exclusive apartments frequented by royalty to youth hostels. Conference participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs. Information about recommended hotels and other lodging options can be found here.

    ECLS members’ participation is free of charge.

    The pandemic situation in Poland is relatively good. The University of Warsaw has decided to waive most of the COVID-19 restrictions regarding teaching and academic activities in university buildings (we will be back in classrooms starting from October 2021). You are therefore warmly welcomed to take part in the event personally! As for travelling to Poland see https://www.gov.pl/web/coronavirus/travel.

    Of course, knowing many of you are based in countries that continue to restrict travelling, we stick to the hybrid format of the event, combining a “live” in-person meeting with a “virtual” online component (ZOOM platform). 

    We assume that, at this stage, most of you can predict if travelling to Warsaw is at all possible. 

    For us, it is super important to know the numbers of in-person participants in advanceTherefore, we would be grateful if you can fill in this short registration form and help us with preparations https://forms.gle/pKvX8ndXHA5k9yGu7

    8. Contact

    All questions and suggestions can be addressed to eclswarsaw@wpia.uw.edu.pl. We also invite you to visit our website: chinalaw.wpia.uw.edu.pl

    See you in Warsaw!

    Summer Academy for Global China: Law, Governance & Culture

    15-19 July 2024 at Durham University

    The Centre for Chinese Law and Policy, alongside the European China Law Studies Association and East Asian Legal Studies Center at the University of Wisconsin Law School is excited to offer a unique one-week summer academy which delves into Chinese legal evolution within the global context, blending governance, economic development, history and cultural exchange.

    For further information and registration, please visit the even site at Summer Academy – Durham University.