Essay by Kong Qingjiang
China used to be one of the few countries that avoided most international affairs and shunned most international norms. Recognition of the legitimacy of the Western-dominated international institutions and norms was alien or unacceptable to China. Recently, as China rises as a world power, it has begun to embrace regional and global institutions and take on the responsibilities that come with great power status. It has embraced much of the current constellation of international institutions, rules, and norms. Does this signal that China has embraced the Western-dominated international institutions and norms? If yes, in what context? By examining China’s international behaviors, particularly since its accession to the WTO, this Article finds that its experience in the WTO has been a mixture of monitored membership, an eagerness to participate, and an aspiration to change.
About the Author
Kong Qingjiang. Professor of Law, School of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law; Professor, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Global Governance and the Rule of Law.
Citation
88 Tul. L. Rev. 959 (2014)