Leading legal scholars, practitioners, and policymakers gathered at NYU Shanghai for a Foreign-related Rule of Law Workshop that was co-hosted by the U.S.-Asia Law Institute (USALI). The workshop focused on current challenges and institutional innovations in the field of foreign-related rule of law (FRROL), a broad category encompassing the full array of laws – both domestic and international – that govern China’s interaction with the world.
The program began on April 10 with a visit to the Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People’s Court. On April 12, participants gathered at NYU Shanghai (in person and via zoom) for a full day of presentations and discussions.
In her opening remarks, Maria Adele Carrai, assistant professor of Global China Studies at NYU Shanghai, emphasized the urgency of scholarly engagement with global legal norms amid increasing geopolitical complexity.
Speaking remotely, Katherine Wilhelm, executive director of USALI, said there is great interest among scholars outside China in the government’s recent emphasis on FRROL and its goals: does it seek chiefly to fill legislative gaps and build expert capacity to interact with the world through law, or should we expect substantive innovation?
Engaging Issues: Sanctions, Legal Soft Power, and Extraterritoriality
The first panel, moderated by Professor Yang Zhuo from East China University of Political Science and Law, focused on sanctions and economic jurisdiction. Speakers discussed the current reciprocal tariffs, the role of financial infrastructure in sanctions, and state responses to investment arbitration. Presenters included Gong Hongliu (University of International Business and Economics), Zhang Kangle (Peking University), and Jeanne Huang (University of Sydney).
The next panel examined how China is building new legal narratives and institutions. Professor Kong Qingjiang (China University of Political Science and Law) presented insights into China’s legal discourse in the new era, while Professor Leng Jing (East China University of Political Science and Law) discussed legal diplomacy and how her university’s new School of Foreign Affairs and Law (where she is executive dean) is training students to engage internationally through FRROL.
In the afternoon, the discussion turned to legal boundaries and China’s territorial disputes, with Professor Jacques Delisle (University of Pennsylvania) asking questions about the reach of legal authority and what qualifies as “foreign.” Other presentations addressed the return of cultural artifacts from abroad and China’s global security initiatives.
Reflecting on Global Legal Futures
Across the sessions, speakers proposed new frameworks for understanding legal soft power and international legal pluralism. Samuli Seppänen (Chinese University of Hong Kong) introduced an analytical lens for evaluating China’s legal influence, while Ka Lok Yip (Hamad Bin Khalifa University) discussed how international law intersects with global security.
The event concluded with informal conversations and a reception, leaving participants energized by the discussion and looking forward to a proposed follow-up workshop at NYU in New York.