Abstract
China joined the international community of the United Nations (UN) shortly after the establishment of the organization in 1945. Even though China was to a certain extent treated as an international pariah in the turbulent times following the civil war won by the Mao Ze Dong and the Communist Party, significant success was marked in 1971 when – already as the People's Republic of China – it was awarded a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, originally held by Taiwan. This step might be also interpreted as the international community's tacit approval of One China policy. From the very beginning, China followed a pragmatic approach to its membership in the Security Council in particular and UN in general, considering its personal interests and building coalitions, especially between the countries of global South. As China's economy has grown, the country has also taken over a more active and assertive role in UN. When talking about the Chinese perspective of international law, it is firstly necessary to clarify the Chinese perception of law in general, and the paper will make a brief overview. Additionally, China's accession to the WTO has been an important milestone not only for China, but also for the international community and global economy. China's accession made the WTO a truly worldwide organization. The differences between respective members of the WTO from various regions of the world concern also the values they promote and this paper will focus on Non-Trade Concerns. For instance, China has a different perception of human rights than the Western countries. Moreover, China has demonstrated its willingness to assume responsibility and to foster international action to combat climate change.
Full PaperPaolo Davide Farah
Founder, President and Director
Professor Paolo Davide Farah is Founder, President and Director of gLAWcal – Global Law Initiatives forSustainable Development, Full Professor(with tenure) at West Virginia University, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences,John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics, Department of Public Administration and “Internationally Renowned Professor/Distinguished Professor of Law” (Full Professor level) at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), Law School, Beijing, China.
Summary
China joined the international community of the United Nations (UN) shortly after the establishment of the organization in 1945. Even though China was to a certain extent treated as an international pariah in the turbulent times following the civil war won by the Mao Ze Dong and the Communist Party, significant success was marked in 1971 when – already as the People's Republic of China – it was awarded a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, originally held by Taiwan. This step might be also interpreted as the international community's tacit approval of One China policy. From the very beginning, China followed a pragmatic approach to its membership in the Security Council in particular and UN in general, considering its personal interests and building coalitions, especially between the countries of global South. As China's economy has grown, the country has also taken over a more active and assertive role in UN. When talking about the Chinese perspective of international law, it is firstly necessary to clarify the Chinese perception of law in general, and the paper will make a brief overview. Additionally, China's accession to the WTO has been an important milestone not only for China, but also for the international community and global economy. China's accession made the WTO a truly worldwide organization. The differences between respective members of the WTO from various regions of the world concern also the values they promote and this paper will focus on Non-Trade Concerns. For instance, China has a different perception of human rights than the Western countries. Moreover, China has demonstrated its willingness to assume responsibility and to foster international action to combat climate change.
