China’s success in cultivating Big Tech firms has enabled it to emerge as a formidable rival to the United States in the digital sphere. But in the past few years, the Chinese government has embarked on a massive regulatory crackdown, targeting its largest tech corporations such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Meituan. Many Western experts have viewed this tech crackdown as an assault on private businesses, causing doubt among investors about whether Chinese firms are still investable. Professor Angela Zhang will go beyond the headlines to unravel the dynamic complexity of China’s regulatory governance. Drawing insights from her newly published book, High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy, she will introduce the dynamic pyramid model of regulation, an analytical framework that demystifies Chinese regulatory governance. She will examine the impact of the tech crackdown on the administrative state, the competitive landscape, and global tech rivalry. And she will peer into the future by examining China’s strategy for regulating generative artificial intelligence. 

Chinese companies that operate in the US face an increasingly complex legal and political landscape. Rising geopolitical tensions between China and the US make it difficult for Chinese multinationals to comply with the laws of both countries. But they are reluctant to leave the US, having made substantial investments here. In Negotiating Legality: Chinese Companies in the U.S. Legal System, Ji Li uses interviews and survey data to tell the story of how Chinese companies develop in-house legal capacities, engage with US legal professionals, and navigate litigation in US courts. 

As interest in AI surges around the world, and concerns about the risks and harms of AI technology are wide-ranging. Regulatory discussions are correspondingly complex, touching on values such as human rights, democracy, and sustainability. Professor Hiroki Habuka of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Law and Professor Daniel Francis of NYU School of Law will use the current Japanese approach to AI regulation as a framework to explore some of the big questions that AI presents to legislators, citizens, and regulatory theorists.

China has rapidly emerged as a global leader in artificial intelligence, closely rivalling the United States. China is also at the forefront of regulating AI. It has proactively introduced some of the world’s earliest and most comprehensive rules concerning algorithms, deepfakes, and chatbots, among others. Angela Zhang, global professor of law at NYU School of Law, will take a dive deep into China’s regulatory landscape and provide a critical assessment of its AI governance strategies. She will also forecast the future direction of China’s AI regulation and explore its potential implications on the global community. Professor Benedict Kingsbury of NYU School of Law will moderate.

China’s staggering economic development over the past four decades owes much to the effectiveness of its tax system. Wei Cui, a professor of law and tax expert at the University of British Columbia, will share highlights from his 2022 book The Administrative Foundations of the Chinese Fiscal State, in which he introduces the politics, policies, and practices of tax collection in China.

Can a sophisticated financial market exist without legal protections for investors and creditors? International investors have put trillions of dollars into “China concepts stocks” and Chinese-issued international bonds over the past two decades, even though these markets to some extent operate extra-legally.

Stimulating private entrepreneurship has been a purportedly vital item on the Chinese government’s recent policy agenda, though perhaps few have given it credence. Arguably the most significant legislative implementation of this policy was the 2013 amendment of the Company Law, which reformed long-standing “registered capital” rules.

How is China regulating data, blockchain, and the emerging Web3? China’s regulatory approach is based on “cyber sovereignty.” The government actively promotes blockchain technology and has advanced plans for a sovereign digital currency, while also strictly prohibiting crypto mining and trading.

In many advanced countries, traditional forms of capitalism have increasingly come under criticism as contributing to economic and social inequality and failing to serve the needs of society. Law Professors Gen Goto and Curtis J. Milhaupt will discuss the similarities and differences between new forms of capitalism being circulated in Japan and the US, and the implications for corporate governance and, more broadly, society.

China’s new Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) has grabbed international attention largely because it imposes costs on foreign companies with Chinese customers and pushes us even further in the direction of data localization.