Jerome A. Cohen says diplomacy took Chen Guangcheng only so far.

As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner head to Beijing for the annual Security and Economic Dialogue, the U.S.-China relationship faces diplomatic tension over the status of activist Chen Guangcheng, China's currency, China's leadership transition, and other issues. CFR's Jerome Cohen, an expert on law and business in China, discusses the U.S. relationship with China and the implications of these tensions.

Politician Bo Xilai's sudden fall from grace unmasks long-discussed corruption within the political ranks and undermines a smooth leadership transition for the Communist Party, says CFR's Elizabeth Economy.

Jerome A. Cohen looks at various types of incommunicado detention in China, and discusses what Bo Xilai could face under "shuanggui," a widely feared internal disciplinary action that is outside the reach of Chinese law.

Stephen W. Preston, General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency, gave these remarks on "CIA and the Rule of Law" at Harvard Law School on April 10, 2012.

"Flanked by the coca-producing countries of the Andes and the world's leading consumer of illegal drugs—the United States—Central America is a strategic choke point for illicit trade," writes Michael Shifter, president of Inter-American Dialogue, in a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Special Report, Countering Criminal Violence in Central America.

Jerome A. Cohen discusses Bo Xilai, criminal justice, and China's leadership.

John B. Bellinger III discusses the upcoming Supreme Court hearing of arguments in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, which will decide whether corporations may be sued in U.S. courts for violations of international law under the Alien Tort Statute.

Matthew C. Waxman examines the role of local police in counterterrorism intelligence.

Jerome A. Cohen and Jared Genser argue that the case of detained Chinese rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng demonstrates how far the Chinese government will go to suppress legitimate criticism by its citizens.

Jerome A. Cohen says proposals in the revision of the criminal procedure law would entrench the practice of enforced disappearances in China.

In a meeting conducted via video conference, Aung San Suu Kyi discusses recent changes in Myanmar, her decision to rejoin the political system, and Myanmar-U.S. relations.

In a meeting conducted via videoconference, Aung San Suu Kyi discusses recent changes in Myanmar, her decision to rejoin the political system, and Myanmar-U.S. relations.

John B. Bellinger III argues that Libyans should be allowed to choose whether they want to try members of the Qaddafi regime in their own courts.

Jerome A. Cohen and Yu Han urge the adoption of wider oversight powers for Chinese prosecutors in a revision to the Criminal Procedure Law, allowing the "watchdogs of legality" to rein in investigators' misconduct.

Jerome A. Cohen says the cause of Chen Guangchen, imprisoned because of his efforts to defend women against forced sterilization by the Chinese government, could become a monumental struggle for freedom and justice in China.

Jerome A. Cohen states, "The Chinese government's current suppression of rising internet protests against its barbaric abuse of the blind 'barefoot lawyer' Chen Guangcheng raises fundamental questions about the impact of legal reforms on real life in China."

President Viktor Yanukovych has led Ukraine, no stranger to crisis, into yet another round of turmoil.

Arch Puddington discusses the growing list of governments that are using the criminal justice system to punish former leaders, including Ukraine which recently sentenced former prime minister Yuliya Tymoshenko.

The Magna Carta is an English charter dating to 1215. The National Archives calls the Magna Carta a “charter of ancient liberties guaranteed by a king to his subjects” and gives this history of the document:

“King John of England agreed, in 1215, to the demands of his barons and authorized that handwritten copies of Magna Carta be prepared on parchment, affixed with his seal, and publicly read throughout the realm. Thus he bound not only himself but his "heirs, for ever" to grant "to all freemen of our kingdom" the rights and liberties the great charter described. With Magna Carta, King John placed himself and England's future sovereigns and magistrates within the rule of law.”