Two major initiatives in China are gaining momentum inside and outside of the country. Internally, China’s judiciary has been leading an “open judiciary” initiative, culminating in the establishment of the Guiding Cases System, in which judges are instructed to follow Guiding Cases (“GCs”), de facto binding cases, to achieve the goals of transparency, consistency, and impartiality. To date, hundreds of court cases in China have referenced these GCs, as the civil law country that used to focus solely on statutes gradually develops its own version of a case-focused system. Externally, the Chinese leadership has rolled out the “Belt and Road” initiative, flexing its muscles to increase China’s economic leverage in countries along the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road”. To facilitate the expansion of Chinese investments, fundamental changes to the country’s foreign investment regime are taking place and representative court cases involving parties from “Belt and Road” countries are being released to showcase how these foreign parties’ interests are protected. Seemingly attracted by the opportunities to strengthen their economic and other ties with China, approximately 50 countries have joined the “Belt and Road” initiative. What are the significant implications of these initiatives for governance in China and in countries along the “Belt and Road” routes? Drawing on theoretical and empirical studies, the panelists will discuss these issues at Princeton on Feburary 23.

Panelists:Dr. Mei Gechlik, Founder and Director, China Guiding Cases Project (“CGCP”), Stanford Law School; Jennifer Ingram, Co-Managing Editor and Fellow, CGCP

Sponsors: Stanford Law China Guiding Cases Project (CGCP), Princeton U.S.-China Coalition (PUCC), Princeton Program in Law and Public Affairs (LAPA), and the Center on Contemporary China.

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