Building a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the limits of the international rules-based liberal order across a variety of issue areas, this topical book highlights how the discourse and values inherent in these long-established political arrangements are now facing a backlash. Leading scholars examine how, with a greater dispersion of power and heterogeneity of preferences, Europe navigates a system characterized by a growing deadlock in major international institutions and a lack of compliance with international rules on global governance. Chapters analyse the challenges within international organizations and the international order itself, where the global balance of power is shifting towards a multipolar system. Challenges explored include populist-nationalist movements; rising geopolitical tensions; and growing inequality, political polarization and diminishing trust in political institutions. With the pull of global competition and rising power politics, the book identifies the limits to multilateral cooperation and the shortfalls of the traditional state-based liberal order in addressing global problems, finding a need for more diversity in governance structures to deal with increased connectivity and interdependence. Multi-disciplinary in scope, this forward-thinking book will prove vital to students and scholars of international relations, politics, and law, particularly those interested in the contestation and polarization in global governance, European responses to these challenges, and the transformation of the international liberal order.

The subject of investment relationships between the European Union and China is an increasingly vital topic to understand, yet academic literature has until now been underexplored. Bringing together expert contributors, this book provides a critical analysis of the current law and policy between the EU and China, which will prove to be vital in the field of international economic law. Divided into three parts, this book deals with the key issues of the EU-China investment partnership and its implications, both internally and internationally. Each chapter in China-European Union Investment Relationships covers a core theme of the subject of international economic law, including competition law, financial regulation, economic integration and dispute resolution. Covering the key topics in the area, and drawing diverse perspectives into a single collection, this book is an important resource for scholars and practitioners in legal and policy fields, and will be invaluable for students of trade and investment law to understand in more detail human rights and environmental law and policy. Contributors include: J. Baumgartner, J. Chaisse, N.B. Duong, D. Freeman, M. Hodgson, J. Hu, J. Jemielniak, C.-C. Kao, P. Kerneis, D.J. Lewis, F. Lupo-Pasini, E. Neframi, F.D. Simoes, V.V. Thien, C. Titi, C.-H. Wu

'In international and domestic law water has a widely multifaceted relevance. This book addresses the multifarious water issues from the perspective of a wide range of bodies of law, especially those on foreign investment, international trade and human rights. Its various contributions consistently follow a multi-layered methodological approach encompassing legal, policy, economic, financial, international and comparative domestic analysis. That makes this book a precious tool for international and domestic water policy makers, managers, practitioners and arbitrators.' - Attila M. Tanzi, Bologna University Alma Mater Studiorum, Italy 'Charting the Water Regulatory Future is a multifaceted review of contemporary issues concerning development and conservation of water resources. Divided in three parts, this book contains excellent articles that grapple with salient legal, economic and ethical problems that the world will face in the not-too-distant future.' - Thomas J. Schoenbaum, George Washington University Law School, US Water is an essential resource for mankind, yet many countries around the world are currently facing mounting freshwater management challenges, with climate change and new regional imbalances threatening to aggravate this situation further. This timely book offers a unique interdisciplinary inquiry into the issues and challenges water regulation will face in the coming years. The book brings together economists, political scientists, geographers and legal scholars to offer a number of proposals for the future of water regulation. The contributions in this book are grouped around specific themes. In the Part I, the contributions address the challenges which water poses to public international law. In the Part II, the authors explore the most pressing ethical, legal, and social issues. Finally, the discussion in Part III covers the economic drivers shaping the future of water. This discerning book cov'This book, examining the issues, challenges and directions in water regulation, is very timely. . . (It) contributes to this gigantic endeavour by identifying some of the most pressing legal and economic issues and challenges, and pointing toward some possible future directions. It is written in a technically accurate yet accessible language and will surely prove useful to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners alike.' - Fernando Dias Simoes, European Yearbook of International Economic Law 2018 'In international and domestic law water has a widely multifaceted relevance. This book addresses the multifarious water issues from the perspective of a wide range of bodies of law, especially those on foreign investment, international trade and human rights. Its various contributions consistently follow a multi-layered methodological approach encompassing legal, policy, economic, financial, international and comparative domestic analysis. That makes this book a precious tool for international and domestic water policy makers, managers, practitioners and arbitrators.' - Attila M. Tanzi, Bologna University Alma Mater Studiorum, Italy 'Charting the Water Regulatory Future is a multifaceted review of contemporary issues concerning development and conservation of water resources. Divided in three parts, this book contains excellent articles that grapple with salient legal, economic and ethical problems that the world will face in the not-too-distant future.' - Thomas J. Schoenbaum, George Washington University Law School, US 'This excellent book addresses urgent global water issues: scarcity of clean water as population grows and the climate changes, balancing incentives for investment in infrastructure with human rights to basic needs, jurisdiction and management of international watersheds, and the role of trade and international trade agreements. Individual chapters are sophisticated but accessible and documented rigorously but unobtrusively. The authors are reputed scholars from diverse disciplines, representing a wide range of countries in terms of geography and economic status.' - Alan Randall, The Ohio State University, US and University of Sydney, Australia 'There is no greater challenge in the 21st century than meeting the demand for water amid global climate change. Rapid urbanization, a growing global population projected to hit nine billion in the coming decades, combined with rising demands for water intensive agri-foods, is creating enormous stresses on global water resources. This volume brings together an outstanding collection of global experts to examine the regulatory challenges of water management, addressing topics as diverse as regulating trade in water, global institutions and water conservation, cross border investment in water utilities, as well as ethical, social and legal issues associated with equity and access to water. The volume represents an original and immensely valuable collection of papers for anyone concerned with the future of this most essential resource.' - Darryl Jarvis, Hong Kong Institute of Education 'Pollution, population growth, climate change and regional imbalances make water management a central challenge for governments. New problems about water have arisen, which include inefficient sanitation services, the depletion of groundwater, unstable water supply networks and the use of water carriers. This excellent edited collection brings us a fresh and broad understanding on the future of water regulation from trade, investment, sustainable development, human rights and economics perspectives. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in international rule-making and regulatory development for public goods in the era of globalization.' - Tsai-yu Lin, National Taiwan University 'Overall, this edited volume has certainly succeeded in analysing a highly technical topic from a wide variety of disciplines and in an array of jurisdictions. Its interdisciplinary nature, together with its consistency and clarity, makes it a welcome and timely addition to the literature. It constitutes a useful reference for both academics and practitioners who seek guidance in the intricate and vitally important realm of water regulation.' - Chinese Journal of Environmental Law ers all of the primary actors in the actors of the water world, including governments, companies, international organizations, and citizens. With an original introduction by the editor and bringing a diverse collection of perspectives into a single collection, the book will be an essential resource for scholars and practitioners in legal and policy fields such as trade and investment, human rights and the environment as well as in international relations. Contributors include: M. Ahmad, T. Ancev, S. Azad, A.P. Barcellos, R. Bates, D. Chakraborty, C. Emeziem, S. Hamamoto, F. Hernandez-Sancho, M. Hirano, J. Lassa, P. Mahadevan, T. McDonnell, S. Mukherjee, S.A. Shah, V.J.M. Tassin, C. Titi, P. Turrini

'In The ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement: The Regionalization of Laws and Policy on Foreign Investment, Julien Chaisse and Sufian Jusoh provide analysis --unmatched in scope and detail -- of ACIA's role in supporting the development of the ASEAN Economic Community. This contribution will serve as an invaluable resource for policymakers, business leaders, lawyers, and scholars interested in the development of investment law and policy in Asia.' - Mark Feldman, Peking University, China 'Julien Chaisse and Sufian Jusoh take up the formidable challenge of unpacking the ingredients of the Asian ''noodle bowl'', delivering a comprehensive book that synthesizes the convoluted investment legal standards pertaining to the ASEAN into an intelligible discourse. Throughout, they offer insight into the design and purpose of this model of economic integration, as well as its impact on the rights of investors from states neighbouring the ASEAN region. This volume serves as a reliable and practical guidebook that will edify any reader interested in the subject matter.' - Kyle Dickson-Smith, FCIArb., Canada/Australia The international law of foreign investment is one of the fastest growing areas of international economic law and policy which increasingly rely on large membership investment treaties such as the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA). This book comprehensively examines the role of this specific international treaty on investment and situates it in the wider global trend towards the regionalisation of laws and policy on foreign investment. Considering the state of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and its transformation until 2025, Julien Chaisse and Sufian Jusoh illustrate the pivotal role ACIA has to play in future international investment law negotiations and the benefits to ASEAN and third country investors and their investments. Collective commitment to a common standard contributes to depoliticize any potential conflict between individual investors and host states making the agreement particularly crucial to discussions involving ASEAN member states and between ASEAN and Dialogue Partners as well as to investment decisions including investment liberalization and investment facilitation. Offering the first detailed analysis of ACIA and its applications, this book will prove essential reading for legal practitioners in the field of international investment law as well as researchers and students studying the ASEAN Economic Community and its contemporary moulding.

Foreign direct investment flows have increased dramatically in recent decades and continue to be a driving factor of economic globalisation. As a growth pole in the world economy, large parts of Asia have particularly become an attractive place for market-seeking FDI. In a high number of Asian countries FDI restrictions have been reduced, leading to accelerated technological exchange and globally integrated production and marketing networks. Overall, this has positively benefited the emerging countries that have opened their doors to FDI. Expansion of Trade and FDI in Asia explores the trends of present FDI in Asia and their effects on multilateral regulation of FDI. It reviews the increasing attraction of FDI and the rise of Asian transnational corporations (TNCs) from an economic perspective. It also investigates the legal side of the development, in particular the changes in bilateral and regional FDI regulation, and the lessons that could be learned for International Investment Agreements (IIAs) and the constitution of trading blocs. This book will be of interest to postgraduates and academics interested in Asian studies, Asian economics and international economics.

Foreign direct investment flows have increased dramatically in recent decades and continue to be a driving factor of economic globalisation. As a growth pole in the world economy, large parts of Asia have particularly become an attractive place for market-seeking FDI. In a high number of Asian countries FDI restrictions have been reduced, leading to accelerated technological exchange and globally integrated production and marketing networks. Overall, this has positively benefited the emerging countries that have opened their doors to FDI.

Expansion of Trade and FDI in Asia explores the trends of present FDI in Asia and their effects on multilateral regulation of FDI. It reviews the increasing attraction of FDI and the rise of Asian transnational corporations (TNCs) from an economic perspective. It also investigates the legal side of the development, in particular the changes in bilateral and regional FDI regulation, and the lessons that could be learned for International Investment Agreements (IIAs) and the constitution of trading blocs.

This book will be of interest to postgraduates and academics interested in Asian studies, Asian economics and international economics.

This book analyses actual and potential normative (whether legislative or contractual) conflicts and complex transnational disputes related to state-controlled enterprises (SCEs) operations and how they are interwoven with the problem of foreign direct investment. Moreover, SCEs also fall within the remit of international political economy, international economics and other SCE-related fields that go beyond purely legal or regulatory matters. In this connection, research on such economic and political determinants of SCE's operations greatly informs and supplements the state of knowledge on how to best regulate cross-border aspects of SCE's and is also be covered in this book. The book also aims to analyse the "SCE phenomenon" which includes a wide panoply of entities that have various structures with different degrees of control by states at the central or regional level, and that critically discuss the above-mentioned overlapping legal economic and political systems which can emerge under various shades of shadows casted by governmental umbrellas (i.e., the control can be exercised through ownership, right to appoint the management, and special-voting-rights). The chapters in this book are grouped, so as to address cross-border investment by and in SCE, into four coherent major parts, namely --- (i) the regulatory framework of state capitalism: laws, treaties, and contracts; (ii) economic and institutional expansion of state capitalism; (iii) the accountability of state capitalism: exploring the forms of liabilities; and (iv) regional and country perspectives. Contributions address the core theme from a broad range of SCE and international economic regulations, including but not limited to competition law, WTO law, investment law, and financial/monetary law. They also cover the new emerging generation of Free Trade Agreements (EU-Vietnam FTA, EU China investment treaty, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership; and the coordination between treaty systems). The book is a valuable addition and companion for courses, such as international trade law, international law of foreign investment, transnational law, international and economic development, world politics, law of preferential trade agreements, international economics, and economics of development.

Drinking water and wastewater services must be provided to many sectors of a nation's economy, including its industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. This forms the scope of the water industry's activities and it explains why the privatization of water sanitation and water services has become a huge market and a much-debated issue in a number of jurisdictions. Historically the water industry has been run as a public service which is owned by the local or national government; however, recent trends suggest that the role of the private sector is increasing. The growing economic interests concerning water and wastewater services are generating a tension with the recent recognition of the human right to water and sanitation. This tension between human right and economic rules is the focus of this book, which reviews all the international rules that form the regulation of global water services.

The TPP was negotiated among 12 economically diverse countries, including some most highly developed and rich countries (i.e., the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Singapore), some newly industrialized countries (i.e., Mexico and Malaysia), and some less-developed countries (i.e., Peru, Chile, and Vietnam). A new paradigm created in this context is that countries with vastly different economic developments can actually agree on a set of very high standards to regulate their economic activities, to liberalize their trade, and to protect intellectual property and foreign investment. The contents of the TPP also reflect its status of being a "new paradigm" as the "21st-Century Trade Agreement" and being a pioneer in rule making in many key regulatory areas. These include not only the improved and enhanced rules on traditional issues already covered by the WTO , such as goods, services, and IP rights, but also the carefully designed rules in areas that have never been addressed in the WTO or comprehensively covered in other FTAs , such as state-owned enterprises, electronic commerce, and labor and environmental issues. Although the United States has withdrawn from the TPP, the remaining countries are still putting efforts into establishing a TPP without the United States or a TPP with China. Economically speaking, the current 11 parties account for about 20 % of the global economy. If such agreement is put into force, there will be significant implications for the region, for the multilateral system, and even for other FTAs. The book addresses the potential of the TPP to change the ways trade and investments are conducted and argues for its potential to be the start of an international trade/economic law revolution. The book elaborates the relationship between the TPP and other existing trade agreements such as the WTO and other FTAs and explains how the TPP is to deal with traditional and new issues. Taken together, the authors argue that the implications of the TPP go beyond its current membership. It is hoped that the book will make an important contribution to the field of international economic law.

This book focuses on the Asia-Pacific region, delineating the evolving dynamics of foreign investment in the region. It examines the relationship between efforts to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) and efforts to improve governance and inclusive growth and development. Against a background of rapidly developing international investment law, it emphasises the need to strike a balance between these domestic and international legal frameworks, seeking to promote both foreign investment and the laws and policies necessary to regulate investments and investor conduct. Foreign investments play a pivotal role in most countries' political economies, and in order to encourage cross-border capital flows, countries have taken various steps, such as revising their domestic legal frameworks, liberalising rules on inward and outward investment, and creating special regimes that provide incentives and protections for foreign investment. Alongside the developments in domestic laws, countries have also taken bilateral and multilateral action, including entering into trade and/or investment agreements. Further, the book explores regional investment trends, highlights specific features of Asia-Pacific investment laws and treaties, and analyses policy implications. It addresses four overarching themes: the trends (how Asia-Pacific's agreements compare with recent global trends in the evolving rules on foreign investment); what China is doing; current investment arbitration practice in Asia; and the importance of regionalising investment law in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, it identifies and discusses the research and policy gaps that should be filled in order to promote more sustainable and responsible investment. The book offers a valuable resource not only for academics and students, but also for trade and investment officials, policy-makers, diplomats, economists, lawyers, think tanks, and business leaders interested in the governance and regulation of foreign investment, economic policy reforms, and the development of new types of investment agreements.

The TPP was negotiated among 12 economically diverse countries, including some most highly developed and rich countries (i.e., the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Singapore), some newly industrialized countries (i.e., Mexico and Malaysia), and some less-developed countries (i.e., Peru, Chile, and Vietnam). A new paradigm created in this context is that countries with vastly different economic developments can actually agree on a set of very high standards to regulate their economic activities, to liberalize their trade, and to protect intellectual property and foreign investment. The contents of the TPP also reflect its status of being a "new paradigm" as the "21st-Century Trade Agreement" and being a pioneer in rule making in many key regulatory areas. These include not only the improved and enhanced rules on traditional issues already covered by the WTO , such as goods, services, and IP rights, but also the carefully designed rules in areas that have never been addressed in the WTO or comprehensively covered in other FTAs , such as state-owned enterprises, electronic commerce, and labor and environmental issues. Although the United States has withdrawn from the TPP, the remaining countries are still putting efforts into establishing a TPP without the United States or a TPP with China. Economically speaking, the current 11 parties account for about 20 % of the global economy. If such agreement is put into force, there will be significant implications for the region, for the multilateral system, and even for other FTAs. The book addresses the potential of the TPP to change the ways trade and investments are conducted and argues for its potential to be the start of an international trade/economic law revolution. The book elaborates the relationship between the TPP and other existing trade agreements such as the WTO and other FTAs and explains how the TPP is to deal with traditional and new issues. Taken together, the authors argue that the implications of the TPP go beyond its current membership. It is hoped that the book will make an important contribution to the field of international economic law.

This book focuses on the Asia-Pacific region, delineating the evolving dynamics of foreign investment in the region. It examines the relationship between efforts to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) and efforts to improve governance and inclusive growth and development. Against a background of rapidly developing international investment law, it emphasises the need to strike a balance between these domestic and international legal frameworks, seeking to promote both foreign investment and the laws and policies necessary to regulate investments and investor conduct. Foreign investments play a pivotal role in most countries' political economies, and in order to encourage cross-border capital flows, countries have taken various steps, such as revising their domestic legal frameworks, liberalising rules on inward and outward investment, and creating special regimes that provide incentives and protections for foreign investment. Alongside the developments in domestic laws, countries have also taken bilateral and multilateral action, including entering into trade and/or investment agreements. Further, the book explores regional investment trends, highlights specific features of Asia-Pacific investment laws and treaties, and analyses policy implications. It addresses four overarching themes: the trends (how Asia-Pacific's agreements compare with recent global trends in the evolving rules on foreign investment); what China is doing; current investment arbitration practice in Asia; and the importance of regionalising investment law in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, it identifies and discusses the research and policy gaps that should be filled in order to promote more sustainable and responsible investment. The book offers a valuable resource not only for academics and students, but also for trade and investment officials, policy-makers, diplomats, economists, lawyers, think tanks, and business leaders interested in the governance and regulation of foreign investment, economic policy reforms, and the development of new types of investment agreements.

In an age in which it is increasingly necessary for nations to consider their competitiveness and at a time when the world economy is facing recession, this book explores the possible trajectory of ASEAN - arguably one of the most dynamic areas in the world - as a regional economic and political bloc. This important and timely study focuses on the role of foreign direct investment in advancing the performance of ASEAN and the competitiveness of its firms, whereas other studies typically focus solely on the role of trade. The expert contributors - an interdisciplinary assembly of economists, lawyers and political scientists - present a comprehensive view of ASEAN's experiences over the past decade, addressing the industrial competitiveness of ASEAN and analysing the role of MNEs against the background of the challenges of integration. They illustrate that regional integration will only be a success if ASEAN's linkages are broadened with global partners through negotiations of Free Trade Agreements. The book concludes that although much still remains to be done, and many promises are still to be unveiled, ASEAN's `coming of age' is a historic milestone. Competitiveness of the ASEAN Countries will appeal to a broad readership including students, academics and researchers with an interest in Asian studies, international business, international economics and international law.

Drinking water and wastewater services must be provided to many sectors of a nation's economy, including its industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. This forms the scope of the water industry's activities and it explains why the privatization of water sanitation and water services has become a huge market and a much-debated issue in a number of jurisdictions. Historically the water industry has been run as a public service which is owned by the local or national government; however, recent trends suggest that the role of the private sector is increasing. The growing economic interests concerning water and wastewater services are generating a tension with the recent recognition of the human right to water and sanitation. This tension between human right and economic rules is the focus of this book, which reviews all the international rules that form the regulation of global water services.

This book adopts a transnational methodology to reflect on the legalisation of international economic relations. A Liber Amicorum for Professor Francis Snyder, it outlines the ways in which legal scholarship has taken his legacy further in relation to the concept of transnational law, the ‘law in context’ method, and the evolution of sustainability law. The lens is both theoretical and practical, delving into international investment law, financial/monetary law, free trade agreements, indigenous rights, and food law, and covering case studies from EU law, WTO law, American law, Chinese law, and Indonesian law. The chapters explore how Snyder’s ideas have advanced legal research and determined change in regulation, impacting trade relationships worldwide. Part I of the book gives an overview of the actors, the norms, and the processes of transnational economic law, discussing sites of governance, legal pluralism, and soft law. Part II takes stock of the ‘law in context’ research method, looking not only at the way in which it can be refined and used by academics, but also at the practical implications of such a method to improve regulatory settings and promote social and policy goals (including the emerging generation of FTAs, such as TPP, TTIP, and RCEP). Part III focuses on sustainability law, assessing Francis Snyder’s contribution to systemic changes and reforms in China and the Asia Pacific region. The book is a must have for any academic or practitioner interested in an up-to-date account of the recent developments in transnational trade law research.

This book focuses on a review of how sixty years of case-law and regulatory activity transformed the European continent and the world. It provides a critical analysis of the key features of EU integration and how this integration is perceived (internally and externally). In this context, this book also explores the EU's interactions with a number of other countries and organisations with the objective of assessing the EU's role in global governance.

The first part of this open access book sets out to re-examine some basic principles of trade negotiation, such as choosing the right representatives to negotiate and enhancing transparency as a cure to the public's distrust against trade talks. Moreover, it analyses how the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) might impact on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership's (RCEP) IP chapter and examines the possible norm setters of Asian IP. It then focuses on the People's Republic of China's (PRC) trade and IP strategy against the backdrop of the power games between the PRC, India and the US. The second part of the book reflects on issues related to investor-state dispute settlement and its relationship with IP, such as how to re-calibrate the balance in international investment arbitration, and whether compulsory license of IP constitutes expropriation in India, the PRC and select ASEAN countries. The third part of the book questions and strives to improve some of the proposed IP provisions of CPTPP and RCEP and to redefine some aspects of international IP norms, such as: pre-grant patent opposition and experimental use exception; patent term extension; patent linkage and data exclusivity for the pharmaceutical sector; plant variety protection; pre-established damages for copyright infringement; and the restructuring of copyright limitations in the public interest. The open access edition of this book is available under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Applied Research Centre for Intellectual Assets and the Law in Asia, School of Law, Singapore Management University.

The first part of this open access book sets out to re-examine some basic principles of trade negotiation, such as choosing the right representatives to negotiate and enhancing transparency as a cure to the public's distrust against trade talks. Moreover, it analyses how the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) might impact on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership's (RCEP) IP chapter and examines the possible norm setters of Asian IP. It then focuses on the People's Republic of China's (PRC) trade and IP strategy against the backdrop of the power games between the PRC, India and the US. The second part of the book reflects on issues related to investor-state dispute settlement and its relationship with IP, such as how to re-calibrate the balance in international investment arbitration, and whether compulsory license of IP constitutes expropriation in India, the PRC and select ASEAN countries. The third part of the book questions and strives to improve some of the proposed IP provisions of CPTPP and RCEP and to redefine some aspects of international IP norms, such as: pre-grant patent opposition and experimental use exception; patent term extension; patent linkage and data exclusivity for the pharmaceutical sector; plant variety protection; pre-established damages for copyright infringement; and the restructuring of copyright limitations in the public interest. The open access edition of this book is available under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Applied Research Centre for Intellectual Assets and the Law in Asia, School of Law, Singapore Management University.

This book focuses on a review of how sixty years of case-law and regulatory activity transformed the European continent and the world. It provides a critical analysis of the key features of EU integration and how this integration is perceived (internally and externally). In this context, this book also explores the EU's interactions with a number of other countries and organisations with the objective of assessing the EU's role in global governance.

Since China adopted its 'open door' policy in 1978, which altered its development strategy from self-sufficiency to active participation in the world market, its goal has remained unchanged: to assist the readjustment of China's economy, to coordinate its modernization programs, and to improve its quality of life. With the 1997 launch of the 'Going Global' policy, an outward focus regarding foreign investment was added, to circumvent trade barriers and improve the competitiveness of Chinese firms. In order to accommodate inward and outward investment, China's participation in the international investment regime has underpinned its efforts to join multilateral investment-related legal instruments and conclude international investment agreements. This collection, compiled by award-winning scholar Professor Julien Chaisse, explores the three distinct tracks of China's investment policy and strategy: bilateral agreements including those with the US and the EU; regional agreements including the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific; and global initiatives, spear-headed by China's presidency of the G20 and its 'Belt and Road initiative'. The book's overarching topic is whether these three tracks compete with each other, or whether they complement one another - a question of profound importance for the country's political and economic future and world investment governance.

Nation states have long and successfully claimed to be the proper and sovereign forum for determining a country's international economic policies. Increasingly, however, supranational and non-governmental actors are moving to the front of the stage. New forms of multilateral and global policy-making have emerged, including states and national administrations, key international organizations, international conferences, multinational enterprises, and a wide range of transnational pressure groups and NGOs that all claim their share in exercising power and influence on international and domestic policy-making. In honour of Professor Mitsuo Matsushita's intellectual contributions to the field of international economic law, this volume reflects on the current state and the future of international economic law. The book addresses a broad spectrum of themes in contemporary international economic regulations and focuses specifically on the significant areas of Professor Matsushita's scholarship, including the rise of the soft-law mechanism in international economic regulation, the role of the WTO and dispute settlement, and specific areas such as competition, subsidies, anti-dumping, intellectual property, and natural resources. Part one of the volume provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of the rule-based international dispute settlement mechanisms; Part two investigates the normative influences to and from WTO law; and Part three focuses on policy and law-making issues.