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IFES - China

China

China's economy is undergoing dramatic change, with the government's decision in the 1980s to dismantle collective farming and reintroduce private enterprise. The country’s political system also is evolving to keep pace with the economy. These trends have created new demands on China's legal system, including a record number of new cases, many involving commercial issues or property rights. The government is responding with reforms to its commercial and administrative laws, as well as with improvements to the criminal code.

Current Projects

Promoting the Rule of Law

IFES’ work in China focuses on promoting judicial transparency and independence at a critical time in the country’s development. In order to meet the growing needs of more than a billion citizens and compete in global markets, China must adopt sweeping changes to its judicial infrastructure including training new judges and addressing the gap in court resources between the urban eastern provinces and the less developed west.

Judicial Fellows' Program

IFES’ Judicial Fellows’ Program brings Chinese judges from the Supreme People’s Court of China to the United States for an inside look at the federal government and all levels of the U.S. court system. Judges visit the U.S. Supreme Court, attend congressional hearings on judicial issues and learn about the executive branch’s role in judicial-related issues. Judges also have the opportunity to audit courses at American University’s College of Law and conduct research in judicial transparency and independence. The program is funded by the Wallis Foundation and ExxonMobil.

View a presentation, Judicial Reform in China, prepared by participants in the project.

Past Projects in China »