The Fourth Tsinghua University World Legal Forum Was Successfully Held

On October 22, the 4th Tsinghua University World Legal Forum, sponsored by Tsinghua University and organized by Tsinghua Law School and Yingke Law Firm, opened through an online conference. Vice President of Tsinghua University, Dean Yang Bin on behalf of Tsinghua University, delivered his opening speech, invited to opening ceremony Jiang Wei, Vice President of the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the Procuratorial Committee full-time Deputy Commissioner Wan Chun delivered a keynote speech, Tsinghua University law school Dean Shen Weixing, Founding Partner, Chairman of Global Board  of Yingke Law Firm Mr. Mei Xiangrong respectively as the host addressed. The opening ceremony of the forum was attended by five Vice Presidents, 31 Deans/Vice Deans of law schools from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore and Chile, and more than 10 scholars and practical experts of Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Law, Chinese academy of Social Sciences Institute of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Anhui University, Hainan University, Liaoning University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Fudan University, Jilin University, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing Institute of technology University, Central University of Finance and Economics, Foreign Economic and Trade University, East China Politics and Law University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Zhejiang University, Xiamen University, Tianjin University, Sichuan University, Nanjing University, Shandong University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhengzhou University, Dalian Maritime University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, University of London’s Queen Mary, University of Melbourne and University of New South Wales, the Australian National University, National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, and Catholic University of Chile. The opening ceremony of the forum was presided over by Gao Simin, Vice Dean of Tsinghua University Law School.

Vice President Yang Bin, on behalf of Tsinghua University, extended warm welcome to all the participants and congratulations on the opening of the World Legal Forum. He pointed out that countries around the world should join hands to tackle the challenges of the pandemic and solve problems in global governance in the post-pandemic era. In its fight against the pandemic, China has adhered to pandemic prevention in accordance with the law, in a scientific and rational way, providing effective Chinese wisdom and solutions to other countries. While jointly coping with challenges, it is more important to promote positive, kind, cooperative and altruistic humanity to achieve growth in the post-pandemic era and create a better future together. Mr. Yang bin pointed out that Tsinghua University, as a comprehensive research university, has always been striving to reach the peak of natural science and strive to be the best in social sciences. Over the past year, a number of dialogues with key partners across continents were organized to discuss changes in higher education in the face of the pandemic. I hope this forum will be full of ideas, full academic exchanges, mutual learning in practice, and actively contribute to solving the problems of our times.

Vice President Jiang Wei said that it is of great significance to hold this forum against the backdrop of regular pandemic prevention and control, and shared the practice of online litigation services with Chinese characteristics. He said that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on the world, and is a major test of judicial informatization in all countries. Chinese courts have made electronic litigation and online adjudication normal, ensuring fairness and justice without stopping, providing A Chinese solution for judicial responses to the pandemic. Jiang pointed out that COVID-19 has provided an important opportunity for countries around the world to accelerate the construction of judicial informatization and innovate new modes of judicial operation. Courts in China have built smart courts featuring network, sunshine and intelligence, constantly improving online litigation services, making judicial services more convenient and beneficial to the people, and achieving higher level of fairness and justice in the new era through digital justice. Then, he introduced the effective measures of the people’s court in detail from four aspects: online dispute resolution, litigation without closure, intelligent assistance and all-round publicity.

Mr. Wan Chun pointed out that due to the pandemic situation, the economic and business development of all countries are facing unprecedented pressure. China’s procuratorial organs in dealing with the outbreak of COVID – 19, after careful analysis to the outbreak of the era of the situation at home and abroad, to actively adapt to enter the new era, the people’s new demand, and deploy has carried out the reform of corporate compliance involved work, also joint all related departments to promote enterprises to carry out the construction of compliance, to establish modern enterprise system, so as to achieve the best effect of judicial case. This is a reform and innovation measure taken by China’s procuratorial organs to fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on the rule of law, give full play to their functions, serve and guarantee high-quality economic and social development, and help modernize the country’s governance system and capacity. Mr. Wan Chun said that in the future, the procuratorial organs will actively promote cooperation with Tsinghua University and other universities, scientific research institutions, think tanks and other institutions at a higher level, a wider range of areas, more aspects of cooperation, coordination of enterprise compliance related issues in-depth research, to jointly promote the establishment of modern enterprise regulation judicial system with Chinese characteristics to contribute wisdom and strength.

On behalf of the conference organizer, Dean Shen Weixing extended her welcome and thanks to all the leaders, guests and conference supporters. In his speech, he specially introduced Stephen Perry, President of the 48 Group Club of the UK, who has made outstanding contributions to promoting economic and trade exchanges between China and the UK. Mr. Shen pointed out that under the current world situation, China more firmly supports trade liberalization and economic globalization, calls for enhancing exchanges, cooperation, understanding and mutual trust in international affairs, takes the initiative to develop friendly relations between countries and advocates the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. With the advent of the post-pandemic era, profound changes have taken place in the international pattern and situation, and the global rule of law system also needs to make corresponding self-reform. The development of the rule of law in the post-pandemic era is becoming an important topic in current legal research and rule of law practice. Hope the guests with the aid of this BBS platform advantages, focusing on after SARS era of civil and commercial development, management, law education reform, digital development and risk prevention and control, new development of international economy and trade law, the global ESG investment important issues such as compliance, full discussion, exchange views, to promote the study of the cutting edge legal issues, To achieve a new breakthrough in the development of the rule of law.

Mr. Mei Xiangrong noted that COVID-19 has had an unprecedented and profound impact on the world’s political, social and economic order, and lawyers around the world are also facing great opportunities and challenges in the development and transformation of the rule of law. The development and transformation in the post-pandemic era is not only the improvement and reconstruction of the national legal system, but also the reflection and practice of how human society can achieve sustainable development. How to actively and effectively implement the reform and development of the rule of law is an important cornerstone for the community with a shared future for mankind to get out of the pandemic, recover the economy and move forward. Such development and reform need not only the government’s promotion, but also the strength of enterprises and social groups. Then, Mr. Mei introduced the examples of Yingke Law Firm providing efficient professional legal services for global sustainable development, global governance and worldwide. Yingke Law Firm will continue to improve the global legal services, tell the story of The rule of law in China, convey the voice of the rule of law in China, and make continuous efforts to build a country under the rule of law.

The First Assembly Room

At 9:30am, the first session of “The Development of Civil and Commercial Law in the Post-Pandemic Era” was held at the first session, which was moderated by Professor Shi Tiantao of Tsinghua University Law School. Wang Yi, Vice President of Renmin University of China, analyzed the characteristics and shortcomings of China’s civil law research with the theme of “How China’s Civil Law in the Era of Civil Code Can Further Improve Its Dialogue Ability”. Mr. Wang Yi pointed out that China’s civil law studies pay more attention to institutional research, focusing on the application of legal logic analysis method, we should further improve the ability of external dialogue, starting from the original civil law, to find the focus in the ideological resources and analysis framework of civil law issues. Hainan University Vice-President Wang Chongmin mainly from promoting the construction of the dispute resolving mechanism, develop the pluralistic commercial dispute resolving specification, rich way to resolve the disputes on three aspects introduced the practice of free trade port in hainan diversified trading disputes and thoughts, and points out that free trade port need to further improve international commercial dispute settlement mechanism. Kong Xiangjun, Dean of Kaiyuan Law School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, reported the recent situation of Internet platform governance and competitive rule of law, and put forward his own thoughts from the perspectives of norms and development, policy and rule of law, and in-depth research on European and American phenomena. Long Wei, Dean of law school of Beijing University of aeronautics and astronautics the analyzed safe and credible legal protection and new regulatory requirements in the digital age around the “Network Security Law” “Data Security Law” “Personal Information Protection Act” from the occurrence of problems, management strategy, legal guarantee system, and points out that the key to clear governance, emphasize the key regulatory mechanism, attaches great importance to the new digital technology. Qian Yulin, Dean of the School of Law and Economics of East China University of Political Science and Law, elaborated on the corporate governance model in the post-pandemic era in his speech. He pointed out that corporate governance in the post-pandemic era needs to take into account the externalities of environmental issues and formulate long-term development strategies incorporating ESG concepts in a complex and changing social environment. Yu Fei, Dean of the Law School of Civil Business and Economics at China University of Political Science and Law, analyzed the impact of the pandemic on China’s civil code and its response from specific provisions of the civil code. Mr. Yu pointed out that the civil code is a legislative response to current hot issues, and the civil law system itself has strong flexibility and interpretation space. Ye Jinqiang, Dean of The Law School of Nanjing University, made a critical reflection on the movable property guarantee in the Civil Code from three aspects: the development path of the movable property guarantee mode, the current movable property guarantee mode and the possible mode of the movable property guarantee mode.

At 11:00 am, the second session of “Pandemic Control, Government and Society” was officially held in the first session, with Professor Gao Qicai of Tsinghua University Law School as the moderator. Shang Wenjiang, Vice President of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, analyzed the relationship between public interests and public security in his speech, and further extended to his understanding of security and risk, pointing out that security is a more direct appeal of the masses, plays a more important role in social governance and national governance, and deserves more attention of legal education. Cheng Yanlei, Vice President of Anhui University, gave a detailed explanation of how to improve China’s administrative rule of law system from the aspects of legislation, law enforcement and justice under the title of “Improving the Administrative Rule of law System in pandemic Control”. Chen Baifeng, Dean of the Law School of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, expounded the organizational and institutional construction of the combination of “autonomy, rule of law and rule of virtue” in grassroots governance from the perspective of community anti-pandemic efforts, and pointed out that the combination of the three governance is not just a concept, but has been embodied in community governance. Andrew Lynch, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales, shared the practice and practical operation experience of the Australian government in pandemic control under the federal system.

After a short break, the third session continued to focus on ” Pandemic Control, Government and Society”, with Professor Liang Shangshang from Tsinghua University Law School as the moderator. Sun Youhai, Dean of The Law School of Tianjin University, introduced the deployment of the CPC Central Committee on the goal of “carbon peak and carbon neutral”. He believed that the realization of the dual carbon goal needs the guarantee of the rule of law, and put forward three principles to realize the dual carbon goal, combined with the principles, gave specific legislative strategies and reform suggestions. Song Fangqing, Dean of the Law School of Xiamen University, introduced the theoretical research framework of social system, and revealed from the underlying logic that scientific pandemic prevention is a coupling problem between political system and scientific system structure, and that previous pandemic prevention incidents should be summarized and reflected regularly to enhance the resonance ability of political system and scientific system. Liu Fei, Dean of the China-Europe Law School of China University of Political Science and Law, reflected on the basic principles of administrative law and the principle of proportionality, and proposed that the relationship between administrative law enforcement and pandemic control should be balanced when responding to emergencies such as the pandemic. Zheng Zhihang, deputy Dean of the Law School of Shandong University, discussed the standardization of power based on specific problems in the process of pandemic prevention and control, saying that it should be analyzed from the perspective of multi-attribute governance to gain a further scientific understanding of pandemic prevention and control.

At 15pm, Professor Cui Guobin of The Law School of Tsinghua University was the moderator of section 4, “Reform of Legal Education in the Post-Pandemic Era”. Stephen Perry, President of the Forty-Eight Group Club, introduced the differences in the laws of different countries in his speech. He pointed out that legal research should seek common ground while reserving differences, and the solution of legal problems needs to be customized according to different situations in different countries. He also illustrated that law students should respect the diversity of legal backgrounds in different countries. Pip Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Melbourne, introduced the online teaching of the Faculty of Law of the University of Melbourne and advocated the strengthening of global collaboration and communication in legal research. Loannis Kokkoris, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, analyzed the major changes in education and teaching during the pandemic from the aspects of curriculum, teaching platform, teaching content and teaching methods, and said blended teaching has become an essential teaching method. Zhang Liang, Dean of the Law School of Sun Yat-sen University, pointed out the characteristics of specialization from the statistics of the international Court of Justice’s litigation participation, and analyzed the cultivation of foreign-related legal talents. He believed that the cultivation of foreign-related legal talents is a long-term systematic project, which needs joint cultivation, classified cultivation and overall cultivation. Yin Fei, Dean of the Law School of Central University of Finance and Economics, discussed the impact of the pandemic on current legal education and the new opportunities brought by the change of teaching mode, the change of international exchange and cooperation mode, and the adjustment of teaching content. Goh Yi Han, Dean of the School of Law of Singapore Management University (SMU), introduced the university’s efforts to increase legal science and technology research in the field of education, bringing students a new way of thinking by increasing high-tech courses, promoting general education, and strengthening investment in computational law research.

The Second Assembly Room

At 9:30am, the first session of “Reform of Legal Education in the Post-Pandemic Era” was held in the second session, presided over by Professor Nie Xin of Tsinghua University Law School. Theodore W. Ruger, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, introduced how the university has implemented distance learning and integrated teaching in the context of the PANDEMIC, and illustrated the exchange and sharing of teaching resources through distance learning and integrated teaching. He also looked forward to further cooperation with Tsinghua Law School. Mo Jihong, director of the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the key to coordinating domestic and foreign-related rule of law lies in practice, but theoretical research is indispensable. The rule of law concerning foreign affairs is an extension and component of the rule of law in China. Zuo Weimin, Dean of the Law School of Sichuan University, pointed out that in the post-pandemic era of Internet plus, besides large-scale offline education, online auxiliary teaching is also indispensable, and proposed three suggestions of “technology supplement”, “target adjustment” and “curriculum reform” to promote the development of legal education in the post-pandemic era. Tan Cheng Han, Dean of the Law School of City University of Hong Kong, pointed out that legal education in the post-PANDEMIC era should be based on the challenges of globalization, situational teaching, technological means and inter-school cooperation to cope with complexity and changes. Gabriel Bocksang Hola, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Catholic University of Chile, said legal educators and lawyers should also focus on teaching basic courses such as culture and history in the context of the development of artificial intelligence and new technologies. Wang Zhiqiang, Dean of The Law School of Fudan University, delivered a speech titled “Reflections on Legal Education Theory and Technology in the Post-Pandemic Era”, and put forward three paradoxes of legal education in the post-pandemic era and his reflections, which made people think deeply. Miao Lianying, Dean of The Law School of Zhengzhou University, believes that legal education in the post-pandemic era should accelerate the exploration of intelligent, diversified and personalized new teaching forms and new talent training modes, pay attention to the combination of online and offline practical teaching, and carry out corresponding reforms in legal discipline research and teaching.

At 11:00 a.m., the second session of “Digital Development and Risk Prevention and Control in the Post-Pandemic Era” was officially held in the second session, with Professor Wang Chenguang of Tsinghua University Law School as the moderator. Simon Chesterman, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore, delivered a speech entitled “Digitization and Risk Prevention and Control in the Post-Pandemic Era”, in which he pointed out that AI poses great challenges from three aspects: technology, autonomy and opacity. In his speech, Lutz-Christian Wolff, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, introduced three basic concepts in digitization: algorithm, computer automation and AI, and analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of digital legalization decision making in detail. Li Shouping, Dean of the Law School of Beijing Institute of Technology, delivered a special report entitled “Difficulties and Countermeasures of international governance of outer space security in the post-COVID-19 era”, in which he analyzed the characteristics of outer space security in the post-COVID-19 era and the severe challenges faced by global governance of outer space, and put forward suggestions on the current situation. Gong Hongliu, deputy Dean of the Law School of the University of International Business and Economics, took Beijing airport as an example to introduce the regulations of international law on public health risk prevention and control at frontier ports in the post-pandemic era, explored the obligations and compliance of the International Health Regulations and how to solve the resulting conflicts. Johanna Weaver, director of the Centre for Policy Perspectives on Science and Technology at The Australian National University, shared how to promote stability and security in cyberspace, drawing on her experience at the UN, and called for efforts to harness existing achievements to govern cyberspace.

After a short break, the third session focused on “New Development of International Economy and Trade Law in the Post-PANDEMIC Era”, chaired by Professor Yang Guohua of Tsinghua University Law School. Yang Song, Vice President of Liaoning University, pointed out that the pandemic has led to changes in the global economic structure and trade and investment pattern, posing new challenges to laws and regulations on international trade and investment. It then conducts in-depth analysis on the post-pandemic international economic and trade situation and trade restriction measures. Law school of Peking University, Vice President of the communist party secretary, guo fog from commercial bank regulatory balance, trend of non-bank financial sector regulation, financial regulation of science and technology, etc, to share after the outbreak of the rule of law is a new era of international financial dynamics, and the digital currency, stable currency and encrypted digital assets, financial institutions operating. He Zhipeng, Dean of Law School of Jilin University, delivered a speech entitled “Aggressive use of international law and its countermeasures”, pointing out that aggressive use is a phenomenon worthy of attention in international law and giving relevant solutions. Chu Beiping, Dean of the Law School of Dalian Maritime University, put forward the practice and thinking of establishing the interdisciplinary discipline of law of the sea, introduced the connotation of law of the sea, and made an in-depth analysis of law of the sea from the perspectives of teachers, courses, textbooks, students, scientific research and so on. Zhao Jun, deputy Dean of Guanghua Law School of Zhejiang University, pointed out that international law in the post-pandemic era should be viewed from five perspectives and three dimensions, and the relations between economy and law, science and technology and rules, competition and cooperation, and international and domestic should be properly handled. At the end of the forum, Madhavi Sunder, Associate Dean of Georgetown University School of Law, delivered a speech entitled “The Role of International Intellectual Property Law in The Development and Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines”.

At 15pm, section 4 “Global ESG Investment Compliance Management” was moderated by Ms. Lin Yang, founding partner, global partner and Executive Director of the Global Board of Directors of Pacific Century International. Cao Wenzheng, senior partner of Deloitte China, introduced the current development status and importance of ESG investment in the field of international investment, and elaborated the differences between ESG investment and traditional investment, as well as the contribution of this investment to human society. French euromonitor ze fund group senior partner, the United Nations agency project investment in infrastructure and innovation of the global investment consultant committee Chen introduced the global ESG compliance management present situation, combining with the practice in the field of red jersey fund investment in ESG, share of the fund to invest ESG evaluation criteria, such as strategy, basic steps and considerations. Xiong Tao, Vice President of International Development affairs of BADA Group, shared the company’s understanding of ESG and its contribution to ESG, as well as bADA Group’s investment performance, traditional business, corporate governance experience and social responsibility. He Jingjing, associate researcher at the Institute of International Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, shared China’s current environmental protection policies and efforts to tackle climate change. She also introduced China’s wisdom and experience in promoting harmonious development between human and nature in the context of ESG from the perspective of green finance. Ricardo Barrero-Deymonnaz, founding partner of Argentina’s BOD Law firm and co-chair of IBA’s International Construction Projects Committee, shared his views on ESG investment management from the perspective of legal matters in the field of construction. He sees a good opportunity for the construction industry to introduce business models into ESG investments.

At 16:30 on the afternoon of 22nd, Gao Simin, Vice Dean of Tsinghua University Law School, presided over the closing ceremony. Deng Haifeng, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University Law School, and Ms. Yang Lin, Founding Partner, Global Partner and Executive Chairwoman of the Global Board of Directors of Yingke International delivered speeches at the closing ceremony respectively.

Deng Haifeng, on behalf of the School of Law of Tsinghua University, expressed his gratitude to all the distinguished guests and staff attending the conference. He pointed out that the construction of rule of law plays an important role in maintaining social harmony and stability in the context of the repeated global pandemic. How to establish a more perfect legal protection system to deal with new legal issues in the post-pandemic era is the most important research topic in the field of law. We believe that the outcomes of this forum will play a positive role in improving the existing legal system and building a just and reasonable global economic order. Deng haifeng said that the Tsinghua University World Rule of Law Forum focuses on important issues concerning the development of the country and the world, and aims to pool the wisdom of the world, produce constructive results and contribute to the development of China and the world. I hope that old and new friends will meet again at the next Legal Forum and write a new chapter on the rule of law.

On behalf of the organizer of the forum, Ms. Yang Lin extended her sincere thanks to all the participants. She pointed out that in the post-PANDEMIC era, countries all over the world are faced with the problem of how to promote economic recovery and social development, which is also the goal of rule of law reform. All the guests attending the forum are influential leaders in the construction of the rule of law in the world. The World Rule of Law Forum of Tsinghua University is also a high-profile summit on the rule of law, so there is a long way to go. I believe that through today’s forum, the participants and audience will deepen their understanding of the rule of law reform at home and abroad, and think about how to contribute to overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and meeting future challenges. In the end, Director Yang Lin thanked the teachers and students of Tsinghua University Law School for their hard work, leaders and experts, as well as online friends for watching and supporting this forum.

Since founded in 2018, Tsinghua University World Legal Forum has built the world elite of high-level dialogue platform under the rule of law, invited global legal industry elite from all walks of life to participate in a keynote speech and topic discussion, shown strong determination to Chinese construction of rule of law and the great achievement around the focus issues. It has sought constructive solutions to the focused issues of global rule of law and promoted dialogue and exchanges between China and the rest of the world in the field of rule of law.