China’s Influence on Non-Trade Concerns in International Economic Law

A timely, innovative and insightful book that addresses a wide range of vitally important contemporary concerns of global reach ranging from climate change to food security to China’s role in Africa through the lens of non-trade issues. The editors and contributors are to be congratulated for cutting edge scholarship with real world significance.’
Randy Peerenboom, La Trobe University Melbourne, Australia

‘China’s growing role in the WTO, both because of its involvement in numerous disputes and as a full participant to its overall activities, and China’s active engagement in multilateral and regional law making concerning environmental, social and economic matters generally makes this volume quite timely. The contributors cover a wide spectrum of issues making this publication an indispensable tool for all those concerned in current problems of the global economy.’
Giorgio Sacerdoti, Bocconi University, Italy, and former Chairman of the WTO Appellate Body

‘China’s Influence on Non-Trade Concerns in International Economic Law, edited by Paolo Farah and Elena Cima, is a most timely book on an important issue. This book is impressive both because of the breadth and depth of the topics addressed. For anyone interested in the future of the multilateral trading system, this book will be a very interesting and at times provocative read.’
Peter Van den Bossche, Member, Appellate Body, World Trade Organization

‘This is really a “masterwork” which has appeared at the “right time” on the “right topic”. The book assesses China’s development on non-trade concerns within the context of the WTO by use of global justice and sustainable development principles. It is a great collection which critically examines China from multiple perspectives.’
Minyou Yu, Wuhan University, China

China’s Influence on Non-Trade Concerns in International Economic Law

This volume examines the range of Non-Trade Concerns (NTCs) that may conflict with international economic rules and proposes ways to protect them within international law and international economic law. Globalization without local concerns can endanger relevant issues such as good governance, human rights, right to water, right to food, social, eco­nomic, cultural and environmental rights, labor rights, access to knowledge, public health, social welfare, consumer interests and animal welfare, climate change, energy, environmental protection and sustainable development, product safety, food safety and security. Focusing on China, the book shows the current trends of Chinese law and policy towards international standards. The authors argue that China can play a leading role in this context: not only has China adopted several reforms and new regulations to address NTCs; but it has started to play a very relevant role in international negotiations on NTCs such as climate change, energy, and culture, among others. While China is still considered a developing country, in particular from the NTCs’ point of view, it promises to be a key actor in international law in general and, more specifically, in international economic law in this respect. This volume assesses, taking into consideration its special context, China’s behavior internally and exter­nally to understand its role and influence in shaping NTCs in the context of international economic law.

Global Law and Sustainable Development Series editor: Paolo Davide Farah West Virginia University, USA and gLAWcal – Global Law Initiatives for Sustainable Development, UK This series provides a new focus on the relationship between international law, economy and trade, with special attention to what are commonly referred to as non-trade-related values and concerns. Through research and policy analysis the series sheds new light on a range of issues relating to good governance and human rights in the widest sense. It is held that the values supporting these issues are directly affected by the global expansion of world trade and need to be upheld in order to balance the excesses of globalization. Multidisciplinary in approach, the series integrates studies from scholars and researchers with a range of different backgrounds and interdisciplinary expertise from law, economics, political science, and sociology through to history, philosophy and natural science.

China’s Influence on Non Trade Concerns in International Economic Law

Edited by

Paolo D. Farah

West Virginia University (USA)
&
gLAWcal – Global Law Initiatives for Sustainable Development (UK)

Elena Cima

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Switzerland)