Monday, October 14, 2013

Conference: “Contending Perspectives on the Rule of Law in China” UW, November 15

The National Bureau of Asian Research, in partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, the University of Washington School of Law, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations’ Public Intellectuals Program, and the Severyns-Ravenholt Seminar in Comparative Politics will host a conference on “Contending Perspectives on the Rule of Law in China” on Friday, November 15, 2013, on the campus of the University of Washington.

Beneath the surface of its remarkable rise to power, China continues to face profound challenges that could threaten economic growth, internal stability, and US-China relations. At the heart of many of these challenges is China’s ongoing inability to institute the rule of law and the continued use of extra-legal practices in all aspects of political, economic, and social life. From the abuse of power by corrupt officials, environmental disasters, illegal land takings, and violations of labor rights, to weak enforcement of intellectual property rights, questions about the rule of law are roiling throughout China.

Xi Jinping’s time in power has so far witnessed intense debate on political and legal reforms as well as detention and marginalization of dissenters. This conference will consider key aspects of the rule of law in China, assess the regime's ability to manage calls for greater adherence to rule of law, and ultimately address the question of whether the ruling party can be constrained by law.

The organizers have assembled an array of top scholars, practitioners, and advocates from the United States and China to assess these issues through two critical segments of China's population: the elite and the general public.

Find out more here:

https://2013chinalawconference.eventbrite.com/