China's entry into the WTO was stimulating a wave of legal reforms in China, legal expert Professor Jerome Cohen said yesterday.
'WTO is the cry of the country . . . it has brought not only excitement but determination to improve the legal system,' he said.
A professor of Chinese law at the New York University School of Law, Professor Cohen will deliver a speech at the University of Hong Kong today.
As a lawyer at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison law firm, he advised on several high-profile cases of Chinese-Americans detained on the mainland. One recent case was that of scholar Gao Zhan, who was convicted of spying in August. Dr Gao was expelled after her conviction.
China's entry into the WTO has inspired a wave of reforms in existing laws and regulations, particularly covering trade and investment. One significant requirement is that China publicise relevant laws, regulations and administrative rulings, including internal legal documents.
Professor Cohen said such transparency was significant.
'Gone will be days when foreign firms and their lawyers have been told that the problem under negotiation is controlled by an internal document,' he said.
