Tag: Constitutional Law

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Annual China Law Week Bridges Nordic Academic and Social Discussions on the Significance of Law in China and China’s Role in World Affairs

Nordic China Law Week 2018 was held between 17 – 23 April in Helsinki, Finland.

The week-long program included a China Law Research Workshop, seminars on China’s Belt and Road Initiative and people management in China, guest lectures on Chinese constitutional law and Chinese intellectual property law, a Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting and more.

Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, opened the China Law Workshop and also gave a presentation on the topic ‘Taking Account of History When Researching Contemporary Law’

‘The Finnish China Law Center and the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki were pleased to organize and host this annual event’, said Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish China Law Center.

‘The Center is proud to contribute to an important academic and social discussion within the Nordic region about the role and significance of law in China, and China’s increasing involvement in global affairs’, Professor Liukkunen said.

For Professor Liukkunen, the strength of Nordic China Law Week 2018 lay in the breadth and relevance of themes covered, the wide appeal of events to both the public and private sectors, and the involvement of scholars and participants from China, the Nordic region and other countries.

Professor Cheng Dawei (Renmin University), speaking about trade governance of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative at the opening event of Nordic China Law Week 2018

‘That the events during the Week were so well-attended testifies to the fact that Nordic interest in Chinese law and the Chinese legal system continues to grow’, Professor Liukkunen said.

 

Acting Dean of Beijing Foreign Studies University Law School, Professor Yan Dong, visited Finland to speak during Nordic China Law Week 2018

‘I was particularly pleased at the diversity of participants during the Week. While the focus was primarily scholarly and academic, the organizers were careful to balance law, theory and concrete practice. This was important, including because of the Nordic business community’s deepening engagement with China’.

‘As Nordic China Law Week 2018 was organized to take account of both academic and practical perspectives, its events attracted participants not just from Nordic and Chinese academia, but also from legal practice, the Finnish corporate community – including entrepreneurs from Finland’s thriving startup scene, which is increasingly engaging with China – as well as participants from NGOs, international organizations, the media and the diplomatic community’.

Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish China Law Center, speaking at the Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting during Nordic China Law Week 2018

‘For example, over 10 nationalities were represented among the more than 80 registered participants in the China Law Research Workshop. Startup founders, ambassadors, students, Finnish government representatives, leading Nordic scholars and representatives of multinational corporations discussed how to research and apply Chinese law, including the practicalities of doing field work and conducting business in China’, Professor Liukkunen said.

Assistant Professor Yan Tian (Peking University Law School) spoke on Chinese constitutional and labour law at events during Nordic China Law Week 2018

The Finnish China Law Center is thankful for the support provided by the University of Helsinki, one of the Center’s 10 member institutions.

‘The Center is grateful to Professor Jukka Kola, Rector of the University of Helsinki, for his support of Nordic China Law Week 2018, including through holding a Rector’s Reception after one of the Week’s flagship events, the China Law Research Workshop, hosted by the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo’.

Left to right: Professor Carl Fey (Aalto University); Mr Peter Vesterbacka (entrepreneur and business figure); Professor Ulla Liukkunen (Finnish China Law Center / University of Helsinki); and Dr Wei Lu (Aalto University), speaking during a panel session at a seminar on people management China at Aalto University during Nordic China Law Week 2018

Nordic China Law Week was also supported by the Confucius Institute and Chinese Studies of the University of Helsinki.

A representative from online database provider CNKI (Tsinghua University) speaking at the Information Session on Online Chinese Legal Research in the University of Helsinki’s main library during Nordic China Law Week 2018

Summaries of the main events held during Nordic China Law Week 2018 can be found below.

Tuesday 17 April: Trade Governance of the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Wednesday 18 April: Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law

Wednesday 18 April: How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?

Thursday 19 April: China Law Research Workshop

Friday 20 April: Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting

Monday 23 April: Information Session on Online Chinese Legal Research

Monday 23 April: Seminar: What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives

More information about the Week, including media inquiries, can be directed to the Coordinator of the Center, Stuart Mooney, on stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi.

Details on the research agenda and activities of the Finnish China Law Center can be found in the book, Finnish China Law Center: Its First Four Years (2017).

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NORDIC CHINA LAW WEEK 2018: HOW IMPORTANT IS CHINA’S CONSTITUTION IN THE CHINESE LEGAL SYSTEM?

On 18 April 2018, the Finnish China Law Center and the University of Helsinki, one of the Center’s 10 member institutions, hosted a guest lecture by Assistant Professor Yan Tian of the Peking University School of Law on ‘How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?’

Assistant Professor Yan Tian (Peking University Law School) delivering a guest lecture on Chinese constitutional law during Nordic China Law Week 2018 at the University of Helsinki, Finland

The event was part of Nordic China Law Week 2018 (17 – 23 April), organized by the Finnish China Law Center and Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki, with the support of the Confucius Institute and Chinese Studies of the University of Helsinki.

Assistant Professor Yan Tian, Peking University Law School, speaking during Nordic China Law Week 2018 in Helsinki, Finland

Following an introduction given by Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish China Law Center, Assistant Professor Yan gave a wide-ranging lecture on the significance of the Chinese constitution in the Chinese political/legal system. This included a discussion of the scope and meaning of the recent amendments to China’s constitution. (These changes were approved by China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) by a vote of 2,958 to 2).

Among other things, these recent constitutional changes deleted limits on the terms of presidency, enshrined Xi Jinping’s ‘New Era Socialist Theory with Chinese Characteristics’, provided that the Communist Party of China’s leadership is ‘the most fundamental feature of socialism’, and endorsed disciplinary inspection bodies under the auspice of the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) as official state organs. (The NSC and its local commissions will operate alongside existing administrative, executive and judicial departments. The NSC was officially inaugurated on 23 March 2018).

Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki, responding to Assistant Professor Yan Tian (Peking University Law School) following his guest lecture on Chinese constitutional law. Pictured with Professor Kauko Laitinen, University of Helsinki (left)

Assistant Professor Yan shared three Chinese constitutional law prospects. First, constitutionally-based judicial review would likely not be feasible. Second, legislative review of the legality of administrative regulations may be much more robust. But such review has nothing to do with China’s constitution. Third, Chinese citizens might employ ‘constitutional discourse’ much more than previously.

But two main uncertainties remain, Assistant Professor Yan said. First: Will the NPC interpret and implement China’s constitution, and if so, how? Second: Will the Chinese state tolerate constitutional discourse, especially when such a discourse may be framed against the state?

Dr Jeremy Kleidosty (University of Jyväskylä / University of Helsinki), constitutionalism and comparative political theory scholar, discussing Chinese constitutional law and policy at a guest lecture by Assistant Professor Yan Tian (Peking University Law School) during Nordic China Law Week 2018. Pictured with Dr Yajie Zhao of the University of Helsinki (middle) and Dr Harriet Lonka of the University of Eastern Finland (right)

Following his lecture was a robust discussion among participants on the implications for Chinese law and legal theory of the recent constitutional changes, prospects for constitutionalism in China, and a broader discussion of other developments in the Chinese political/legal system.

Assistant Professor Yan also presented at the second China Law Research Workshop organized by the Finnish China Law Center on 19 April 2018. The Workshop was one of many events held during Nordic China Law Week 2018 (17 – 23 April), including:

Tuesday 17 April: Trade Governance of the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Wednesday 18 April: Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law

Thursday 19 April: China Law Research Workshop

Friday 20 April: Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting

Monday 23 April: Information Session on Online Chinese Legal Research

Monday 23 April: Seminar: What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives

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Nordic China Law Week 2018: 17 – 23 April

The Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki are proudly co-hosting Nordic China Law Week 2018.

‘Nordic China Law Week 2018 will be held 17 – 23 April and will feature an exciting array speakers and contributors from China and the Nordic region’, says Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Center.

‘This reflects ever-deepening interest in Chinese law in the Nordic academic, and broader public, arena’.

‘In addition, Nordic China Law Week 2018 is being held in response to strong and growing interest in Chinese law and the Chinese legal system from the private and non-profit sectors’, Professor Liukkunen says.

‘In light of corporate demand, including from local SMEs and startups, Nordic China Law Week 2018 will include many events on Chinese business and corporate law, including Chinese intellectual property law’.

Professor Liukkunen says the Center is particularly thankful for the contribution and involvement of scholars from across the Center’s 10 member institutions.

Nordic China Law Week 2018 will include a day-long China Law Workshop, the first-ever Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting, a half-day seminar on contemporary people management in China (special guest speaker: Peter Vesterbacka of Angry Birds and Slush fame), a short-form seminar on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, as well as guest lectures on Chinese constitutional and intellectual property law.

The Week is targeted at lawyers, those in business (including entrepreneurs), people working in governments or international organizations, academics, students, those working in NGOs /civil society and anyone with an interest in learning about Chinese law and legal culture.

All events are free and open to the public, with the exception of the Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting (aimed at senior scholars from education and research institutions in the Nordic region, though junior academics, including doctoral candidates, are welcome to join). The host of the Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting will be Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki.

Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, will host the first-ever Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting during Nordic China Law Week 2018.

The Finnish China Law Center and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, thank University of Helsinki Chinese Studies and the Confucius Institute at the University of Helsinki for their support for Nordic China Law Week 2018.

Program of events

Further details of each event in Nordic China Law Week 2018, as well as links to register where relevant, can be found in the following event pages on the website of the Finnish China Law Center:

Tuesday 17 April: Trade Governance of the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Wednesday 18 April: Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law

Wednesday 18 April: How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?

Thursday 19 April: China Law Research Workshop

Friday 20 April: Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting

Monday 23 April: Information Session on Online Chinese Legal Research

Monday 23 April: Seminar: What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives

Further questions and media inquiries

Please contact Stuart Mooney, Coordinator of the Finnish China Law Center, at stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi.

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Finnish China Law Center to hold China Law Research Workshop for Researchers, Practitioners and Students: Thursday 19 April 2018

As part of Nordic China Law Week 2018, the Finnish China Law Center is organizing a China Law Research Workshop to be held on Thursday 19 April 2018 at the University of Helsinki, Finland, one of the Finnish China Law Center’s 10 member institutions.

The Workshop will provide an overview of how to approach Chinese legal research and comparative law research involving China.

The event will be of benefit to students, researchers and practitioners who are interested in Chinese law and the Chinese legal system, and provide an excellent opportunity for participants to meet and network with others who are working with, or interested in, Chinese law and legal culture.

This is the second time the Finnish China Law Center has held a China Law Research Workshop, which is being co-organized with the Faculty of Law and Confucius Institute of the University of Helsinki.

Moderator and Speakers

Professor and judge Alan C. Neal will moderate the event, which will be opened by the Director of the Finnish China Law Center, Professor Ulla Liukkunen.

Professor Alan Neal (Photo credit: Leiden University)

Professor Neal will be joined by scholars from the Nordic region and China. Visiting scholars from China include Professor Jin Haijun (Renmin University), Professor Yan Dong (Beijing Foreign Studies University) and Associate Professor Yan Tian (Peking University).

Registration

Please register by close of business Monday 16 April through the following electronic registration form:

https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/87422/lomake.html

Workshop Program 

Venue: Small Hall, Fourth Floor of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 33

08:30 – 09:00  Registration and coffee

09:00 – 09:15  Welcome to the workshop

Introduction to the Workshop and Some Thoughts on China Law Research: Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture (University of Helsinki)

09:15 – 10:45  Session 1. Background: China and Chinese Law in Context

Session moderator: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Discovering ‘China’: An Overview: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Sources of Chinese Law: Professor Yan Dong (Beijing Foreign Studies University)

Nordic Reflections on Chinese Culture, the Rule of Law and Judicial Reform with Chinese Characteristics: Professor Ditlev Tamm (University of Copenhagen)

10:45 – 11:00  Morning tea/coffee

11:00 – 12:30  Session 2. Theoretical Perspectives: Historical and Comparative Approaches to Chinese Law and Legal Culture 

Session moderator: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Culture and Contemporary China: Professor Julie Yu-Wen Chen, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of Confucius Institute at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki

Intersections of Economics, Business and the Law in China: Implications for Legal Research: Professor Matti Nojonen (University of Lapland)

Taking Account of History When Researching Contemporary Law: Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law (University of Helsinki)

12:30 – 13:45  Lunch

13:45 – 15:15  Session 3. Institutions and Actors: Contextualizing Law in China (parallel session)

Venue: Small Hall, Fourth Floor of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 33

Session moderator: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

The Chinese Legal System in an International Context: Professor Yan Dong (Beijing Foreign Studies University)

Gendered Choices in Structures of Law and Gender: Theoretical Considerations When Undertaking Comparative and Chinese Law Research: Minna Canth Academy Professor Johanna Niemi (University of Turku) and Doctoral Researcher Pia Eskelinen (University of Turku)

Legal Institutions: Judicial and Administrative Decision-Making in China: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

13:45 – 15:15  Session 4. Current ‘Hot’ Topics in Chinese Private Law (parallel session)

Venue: Auditorium XII, Third Floor of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Unioninkatu 34

Session moderator: Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture (University of Helsinki)

How to Approach Chinese IP Law and Private Law Theory: Professor Jin Haijun (Renmin University)

How to Approach Chinese Labour Law and Industrial Relations: Assistant Professor Yan Tian (Peking University)

How to Approach the Chinese Company Law Regime: Dr Yihong Zhang (University of Helsinki)

15:15 – 15:30  Afternoon coffee/tea

15:30 – 16:30  Panel Discussion: Practicalities of China Law Teaching and Research

Venue: Small Hall, Fourth Floor of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 33

Session moderator: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Professor Jukka Viljanen (University of Tampere)
Dr Harriet Lonka (University of Eastern Finland)
Dr Wei Lu (Aalto University)
Dr Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaca (University of Helsinki)

16:30 End of Workshop

18:00 Official Reception hosted by Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki

Venue: Faculty of Law Teachers’ Lounge, Second Floor of the Porthania Building (Yliopistonkatu 3)

Other Events During Nordic China Law Week 2018 

The Workshop is just one of many exciting events being organized as part of Nordic China Law Week 2018 (17 – 23 April 2018).

Tuesday 17 April: Trade Governance of the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Wednesday 18 April: Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law

Wednesday 18 April: How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?

Friday 20 April: First Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting

Monday 23 April: Seminar: What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives

Further Information and Media Inquiries

Questions about the Workshop from interested participants and the media can be directed to the Coordinator of the Finnish China Law Center, Stuart Mooney, at stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi.

Logo of the University of Helsinki, the Law Faculty of which co-organized the China Law Research Workshop.
Logo of the Confucius Institute of the University of Helsinki, co-organizer of the China Law Research Workshop.
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European Law Students’ Association Members Visit Finnish China Law Center and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki

On 1 February 2018, the Finnish China Law Center, based in the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, welcomed a group of students from the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) who visited the Center to learn about Chinese legal education and research.

ELSA is an international, independent, non-political and non-profit organisation run by and for students and recent graduates interested in achieving academic and personal excellence in addition to their legal or law-related studies at university.

The visit by ELSA was hosted by Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki.

Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, speaking during the ELSA visit

Dean Letto-Vanamo is a legal historian and comparative lawyer specialized in European legal history, history of European integration, Nordic legal culture(s) and transnational law, with a strong interest in Chinese law and Chinese legal culture.

During her opening speech at the event, Dean Letto-Vanamo delineated the history of comparative law and Chinese legal education and scholarship in Finland, and underscored the increasing importance of understanding Nordic law not just in its European context, but from the global perspective, including in comparison with Chinese law.

Professor Ulla Liukkunen, also of the University of Helsinki, was another speaker at the event. Professor Liukkunen is Director of the Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture and has been recently elected as a Member of the Board of Directors of the European China Law Studies Association (欧洲中国法研究协会).

Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish China Law Center, sharing her experiences as a China law researcher with visiting ELSA students

Professor Liukkunen spoke about the Finnish China Law Center’s role in facilitating and promoting China law and comparative law research, and about the increasing Nordic-wide approach to Chinese legal education and research. During her presentation, Professor Liukkunen also drew upon her research in Chinese law and comparative law involving China, and highlighted the importance of taking local conditions and culture into consideration when conducting comparative research with Chinese law.

The main speech during the ELSA visit was given by Post-Doctoral Researcher Dr Yihong Zhang.

Dr Yihong Zhang giving the main presentation during the ELSA student visit 

Dr Zhang, who lectures at the University of Helsinki and is responsible for its popular annual summer school program in Chinese law, drew upon her academic and professional experience in China when discussing the Chinese legal system in a comparative context, including its foundations, sources of law, the way law is applied and enforced, and current legal ‘hot topics’ in China.

A short discussion followed Dr Zhang’s presentation, during which time students asked questions about China’s criminal justice system and the rule of law in China.

The Center strongly encourages students – and anyone else – interested in Chinese law and legal culture to follow its blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Questions about Chinese law can be directed to the Coordinator of the Center, Stuart Mooney, at stuart.mooney (@) helsinki.fi.

Dean Letto-Vanamo’s book on different legal cultures and systems around the world, co-authored with Professor Ditlev Tamm of the University of Copenhagen, is being translated into English. 

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Multiple Visits to China Cap Year of Growing Bilateral Legal Research and Education Collaboration between the University of Helsinki and China

The end of 2017 saw a flurry of visits of scholars and staff to China from the University of Helsinki, one of the 10 member institutions of the Finnish China Law Center.

The visits capped off a year marked by ever-deepening cooperation between the University of Helsinki and Chinese scholars and institutions.

In October 2017, Rector of the University of Helsinki, Jukka Kola, led a large delegation of scholars and staff to China.

The purpose of the Rector’s visit was to underscore the significance the University of Helsinki attaches to its friends and partners in China.

During his visit, Rector Kola further developed the important relationship between the University of Helsinki and Peking University, a key partner institution in China of the Finnish China Law Center.

Rector Kola also spoke at an event organized by the Beijing Alumni Club hosted by Finland’s Ambassador to China, Jarno Syrjälä.

The event organizer and Head of the China Alumni Board – Chen Yifeng, Assistant Professor of Law at Peking University – is also Docent of the University of Helsinki and a legal scholar of international renown who played a central role in establishing, and growing, the Finnish China Law Center.

Rector of the University of Helsinki Jukka Kola speaking with Professor Chen Yifeng of Peking University at the China Alumni Club event held at the residence of the Finnish Ambassador to China on 14 October 2017 (Photo credit: Helsingin yliopiston alumniyhdistys)

More about Professor Chen’s engagement and research in the University of Helsinki and the Finnish China Law Center can be found in the recently published Report on the First Four Years of the Center.

Sanna Villikka, acting Head of Administration of the Faculty of Medicine, was also part of the Rector Kola’s delegation.

Ms Villikka visited China in her former capacity as Senior Advisor in Research Funding Services at the University of Helsinki’s City Centre Campus. The purpose of her trip was to develop staff exchange between the University of Helsinki and Peking University, to further enhance the University of Helsinki’s relationship with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and to emphasize the high esteem with which the University of Helsinki views its relationship with the Faculty of Law of Peking University.

Another important visit to China was by then Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Kimmo Nuotio.

Professor Kimmo Nuotio of the University of Helsinki speaking at the CASS Rule of Law Forum, Beijing, November 2017 (Photo credit: Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

Professor Nuotio joined the Annual Meeting of the Silk Road Law Schools Alliance hosted by Wuhan University.

The Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki is one of the founding members of the Alliance, which is composed of leading law schools from China and abroad.

The Annual Meeting has become a platform for law schools to meet and discuss academic research, collaboration and legal education.

Doctoral Candidate Kangle Zhang, contact person of the Alliance from the University of Helsinki, also joined the meeting.

Professor Kimmo Nuotio and Doctoral Candidate Zhang Kangle of the University of Helsinki with representatives from other institutions involved in the Silk Road Law Schools Alliance, at the Alliance’s annual meeting in November 2017 (Photo credit: Wuhan University)

Professor Nuotio was invited to give public lectures at universities across the country, including Peking University, the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Wuhan University, Shandong University, and Wuhan University of Technology.

Professor Nuotio also gave a presentation at the Chinese Academy of Social Science’s annual international Rule of Law conference in Beijing.

Held on 17–18 November, the theme of the 2017 conference was ‘Modes of Rule of Law and Modernization of State Governance’.

Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Helsinki, Sakari Melander, was similarly invited to present at the CASS Rule of Law conference, which doctoral candidate Zhang Kangle also attended.

Professor Sakari Melander of the University of Helsinki speaking at the CASS Rule of Law Forum, Beijing, November 2017 (photo credit: Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).

Professor Jukka Viljanen, of Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Tampere, was also invited to give a presentation at the conference.

Yet another senior scholar from the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki to visit China in late 2017 was Senior Lecturer and Adjunct Professor Dr Jarna Petman, who lectured on human rights at Peking University in October 2017.

In addition to her many academic and professional responsibilities, including serving as a Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists, Professor Petman also visits and lectures at the prestigious Peking University Law School on a regular basis.

These visits have been supported by CIMO’s funding for the collaboration between Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights and Peking University’s Institute of International Law.

Senior Lecturer (att. to the duties of Professor) of the University of Helsinki / University of Turku and Sanna Villikka (University of Helsinki) in Beijing, October 2017 (Photo credit: Sanna Villikka)

The CIMO project, the result of an application made by Kangle Zhang, was jointly managed by several staff of the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki prior to its conclusion at the end of 2017.

During its two years of operation, the project facilitated a range of successful activities that deepened collaboration between the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki and Peking University Law School.

The end of 2017 also saw a flurry of visits from China to Finland.

These inbound visits included two delegations in November alone.

The first of these, a large delegation of judges from the Chinese province of Yunnan, resulted in a productive seminar on comparative juvenile justice in Finland and China.

The second visit, by the leadership of Beihang University Law School, lead to the signing of a new MOU on legal research and education cooperation.

This new relationship has already borne fruit, with the announcement by Beihang University Law School of the establishment of its Nordic Law Center, the first of its kind in China.

2018 is shaping up to be even busier for the University of Helsinki and the Finnish China Law Center.

In addition to guest lectures, visiting speakers and other smaller-scale activities, the Center is hosting or co-organizing a number of international events.

These include a China Law Workshop (Helsinki, April – tbc), the 9th Bilateral Comparative Law Seminar (Beijng, August – tbc) with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the 6th China-Europe Legal Forum with the China Law Society (Helsinki, November – tbc).

Follow the Finnish China Law Center on Twitter (@ChinaLawCenter) and Facebook (@ChinaLawCenter) to keep up-to-date with the latest news, events, publications and other activities of the Center and its member institutions.

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Conference ‘The Legacy of Liu Xiaobo’, organized by Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights, held on 12 January 2018

On 12 January 2018, the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights, based in Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Helsinki, held a day-long conference ‘The Legacy of Liu Xiaobo’.

The international conference featured speakers from countries including China, Singapore, USA, Britain and Finland and discussed the life and choices of Liu Xiaobo, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and recently deceased, that stood as an example of political and ethical activism in a world yearning for such examples.

Jean-Philippe Béja delivering his keynote address

Speeches during the event, which was organized by Professor Jan Klabbers and Post-Doctoral Researcher Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça, evoked Liu Xiaobo’s experience, investigated its legacy and reflected on broader themes of China’s constitutional, rights, ethics and international relations thinking and practice.

 

The event’s keynote speech was given by Jean-Philippe Béja of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique & Centre de recherches internationales, who spoke on ‘Liu Xiaobo’s Legacy: Life in Truth, the Magic Weapon Against Post-Totalitarian Lie’.

Other speakers included Hermann Aubié (Aston University), who spoke on ‘Unlearning Enmity and Hatred: Listening to Liu Xiaobo’s Voice of Conscience by Revisiting his Struggle for Human Dignity and a Future Free China’ and Fu Hualing (University of Hong Kong), who spoke about public interest lawyering in China.

Professor Jan Klabbers speaking on ethical leadership in Helsinki, 12 January 2018

Professor Panu Minkkinen of the University of Helsinki spoke about the significance of human rights in the context of critical legal theory, after which Eva Pils (King’s College, London) discussed ‘China’s Dual State And Its ‘Enemies’ Under Xi Jinping’.

 

Professor Fu Hualing speaking during the ‘The Legacy of Liu Xiaobo’ conference in Helsinki, 12 January 2018

Professor Jan Klabbers of the University of Helsinki discussed ethical leadership, drawing upon his research on virtue ethics, and Post-Doctoral Researcher Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça’s (University of Helsinki) talk covered values and China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’.

 

 

Presentations were also given by Associate Professor Michael W. Dowdle (National University of Singapore), Professor Ralph Weber (University of Basel) and Professor Justin Tiwald (San Francisco State University), and the morning and afternoon sessions were chaired respectively by Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Maria Varaki and Associate Professor Pamela Slotte.

 

Dr Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça, an organizer of the event, speaking on values and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, University of Helsinki, 12 January 2018

 

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Professor Jukka Viljanen (University of Tampere) Gives Constitutional Law Presentation at CASS Rule of Law Conference in Beijing

In a further display of the growing links between legal scholars and institutions in China and the Nordic countries, Professor Jukka Viljanen of Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Tampere was invited to give a presentation during the annual Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) international Rule of Law conference.

The theme of the 2017 conference was ‘Modes of Rule of Law and Modernization of State Governance’.

The 2017 conference, held on 17–18 November in Beijing, was divided into five thematic areas.

Professor Viljanen spoke on the theme ‘The Rule of Law, Constitution and State Governance’.

In his lecture, Professor Viljanen discussed the Finnish experience on amending the constitution, noting that Finnish constitutional laws were extensively reformed in 1980-90’s.

This progress was illustrated by the drafting of the 2000 Constitution. The Constitution was planned to endure over time and as the Constitutional Law Committee has stated, there should not be constant demand to review the Constitution.

Professor Jukka Viljanen speaking at CASS Rule of Law Forum, Beijing, November 2017 (photo credit: Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).

Professor Viljanen outlined how the threshold to make changes to the constitution has increased. In order to make changes a wide societal consensus must be achieved. In Finnish political history, there has been a tradition of coalition governments and a requirement that approval by two parliaments, with general elections between them, is required. This ensures that all parties are involved in the drafting process of the Constitutional amendments.

‘The contemporary approach connects each review of the constitutional provisions to fundamental principles of the Constitution’, Professor Viljanen observed.

‘At the same time, it also highlights the need to follow our international human rights commitments’.

As Professor Viljanen explained, even in the case of surveillance laws, there are no ‘free hands’. Rather, national application of laws goes hand-in-hand with European supervision. The level of scrutiny is, of course, different in each specific circumstance.

A session during the CASS Rule of Law Conference, Beijing, 17–18 November 2018 (photo credit: Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).

In his talk, Professor Viljanen also explained the pending process of amending the constitution in relation to surveillance laws, a ‘hot topic’ in Finland at the moment. The review was founded on the requirements set out by the European Convention on Human Rights.

‘National security as a legitimate aim traditionally affords a wide margin of appreciation to national authorities’, Professor Viljanen said.

‘However, there are also limits to this margin’.

In order to make the working proposal to be in line with the European case law, the failures that took place, for instance, in the Russian case of Roman Zakharov, serve as a telling reminder for the Finnish legislator.

‘This means that in addition to the textual re-formulation of the Constitution, the practice of the Constitutional Law Committee should follow closely the standards set out by the Strasbourg Court’, Professor Viljanen said.

‘The idea of the constitutional amendment is not to provide unrestricted mandate’, Professor Viljanen argued during his talk.

‘Rather, it is to seek a solution to questions regarding surveillance that are in accordance with European standards. This doctrinal link sets out certain detailed requirements that should be taken into account while preparing ordinary legislation regarding the surveillance’.

‘The Strasbourg Court’, Professor Viljanen said in closing, ‘acknowledges efforts to follow the established case law by stating that there needs to be “strong reasons” to substitute views of domestic authorities with its own views’.

Professor Viljanen was joined at the CASS Rule of Law Conference by Professor Kimmo Nuotio and Professor Sakari Melander, both from Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Helsinki.

The international scope of the conference was reflected in the breadth of participants, with scholars in attendance from Peru, Russia, Italy, Poland, Brazil and other countries.

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Upcoming event: The Legacy of Liu Xiaobo, University of Helsinki: 12 January 2018

Logo of the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights, University of Helsinki

University of HelsinkiFinnish China Law Center member institution, the University of Helsinki, will hold a day-long conference ‘The Legacy of Liu Xiaobo’ on 12 January 2018.

The life and choices of Liu Xiaobo, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and recently deceased, stand as an example of political and ethical activism in a world yearning for such examples.

This event evokes Liu Xiaobo’s experience, investigates its legacy and reflects on broader themes of China’s constitutional, rights, ethics and international relations thinking and practice.

This international conference, featuring participants from China, Singapore, USA, Britain, Finland and elsewhere, is organized by Professor Jan Klabbers and Post-Doctoral Researcher Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça of the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights, University of Helsinki.

Time and date: 0930 – 1630, Friday 12 January 2018

Location: Room P674, Faculty of Law (Porthania Building), University of Helsinki, Yliopistonkatu 4

Registration: The event is free and registration can be made through this link: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/85190/lomake.html

Program

9:30 – 10:10 Key note speech: Jean-Philippe Béja (Centre national de la recherche scientifique & Centre de recherches internationales): “Liu Xiaobo’s Legacy: Life in Truth, the Magic Weapon Against Post-Totalitarian Lie”

10:10 – 10:30 Hermann Aubié (Aston University): “Unlearning Enmity and Hatred: Listening to Liu Xiaobo’s Voice of Conscience by Revisiting his Struggle for Human Dignity and a Future Free China”

Coffee Break until 11

1. Rights, Constitutionalism, Democracy (Chair: Maria Varaki)

11:00 – 11:20 Fu Hualing (University of Hong Kong): “Public Interest Lawyering in China: Escalation and Backlash?”

11:20 – 11:40 Panu Minkkinen (University of Helsinki): “Why Are Human Rights Important (Even For A Crit)?”

11:40 – 12:00 Eva Pils (King’s College, London): “China’s Dual State And Its ‘Enemies’ Under Xi Jinping”

12:00 – 12:20 Michael W. Dowdle (National University of Singapore): “China and Dual Constitutionalism”

Discussion until 13

Lunch 13:00 – 14:30

2. Ethical Leadership and Chinese Ethics (Chair: Pamela Slotte)

14:30 – 14:50 Jan Klabbers (University of Helsinki): “On Ethical Leadership”

14:50 – 15:10 Justin Tiwald (San Francisco State University): “Character-centered Theories of Governance in Confucian Political Thought”

15:10 – 15:30 Ralph Weber (University of Basel):  tbd

15:30 – 15:50 Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça (University of Helsinki): “Values and the Belt & Road Initiative”

Discussion until 16:30

Conference Dinner

Further information

Please contact Project Coordinator Hector Nystedt at hector.nystedt (at) helsinki.fi.