Meeting

Virtual Roundtable: Judging China: Illiberal Legal Systems in U.S. Courts

Thursday, January 13, 2022
Teh Eng Koon/Getty Images
Speakers
Donald Clarke

Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School

Mark Jia

Fellow, East Asian Legal Studies Program, Harvard Law School

Presider
Jerome A. Cohen

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Asia, Council on Foreign Relations; Founder and Faculty Director Emeritus, U.S.-Asia Law Institute, New York University School of Law

Asia Program

The years following the Cold War have not seen a disappearance of illiberal regimes, but they have seen a vast growth in globalization and transnational commercial relations. Thus, U.S. courts are faced far more than before with the need to understand and deal with fundamentally different legal systems—for example, when asked to enforce a judgment from an illiberal system. How are they doing? Speakers Donald Clarke and Mark Jia discuss both the challenges posed by illiberal legal orders and the specific problems faced by U.S. courts dealing with the Chinese legal system.

Explore More on Diplomacy and International Institutions

United Nations

Funding the United Nations: How Much Does the U.S. Pay?
Many UN agencies, programs, and missions receive crucial funding from the United States. In his second administration, President Trump is again calling for greater scrutiny of U.S. funding and involvement in the global body, and he has signaled sharp cutbacks in some payments.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors February 28, 2025

Taiwan

Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense
Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and mainland. Taiwan is the likeliest potential flash point in U.S.-China relations.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland and Clara Fong January 15, 2025

China

The China-North Korea Relationship
Complex dynamics between the two Asian nuclear powers are shifting once again as North Korea deepens ties with Russia and the U.S.-China rivalry intensifies.

Backgrounder by Clara Fong November 21, 2024

Top Stories on CFR

Arctic

What Would Greenland’s Independence Mean for U.S. Interests?
The island’s residents have voted in favor of a party that seeks gradual independence from Denmark. But Greenland has attracted significant attention from President Trump, who sees the island’s considerable mineral wealth and location in the Arctic as necessary for U.S. national security.

Article by Diana Roy and Jonathan Masters March 13, 2025

Syria

Syria’s Surge in Violence Does Not Signal a New Civil War—for Now
A spate of attacks involving loyalists to former ruler President Bashar al-Assad has spurred concerns of a return to sectarian warfare in Syria, but there is still a path for the country’s new rulers to find stability.

Expert Brief by Steven A. Cook March 12, 2025

Ukraine

Here’s How Much Aid the United States Has Sent Ukraine
Ten charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.

Article by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow March 11, 2025