Understanding China Through Law

At our Institute, we explore law, its history and theory from a global perspective and work to deepen understanding of its role in society. Our work on China, a country frequently seen through the narrow lens of geopolitics, shows how meaningful understanding emerges from dialogue, careful study and exchange.

This commitment was reinforced in October, when our director Professor Thomas Duve and Professor Xie Zengyi of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Building on decades of collaboration, the agreement strengthens our shared dedication to studying China’s Legal History and Theory and opens new avenues for joint research and exchange.

Among our research projects focused on China, some trace the development of local governance in early twentieth-century China, others examine the rise of administrative law during the reform era, while still others follow the evolution of Chinese legal traditions or explore how ideas and institutions traveled between China, Europe and beyond.

To see how this work of translation and dialogue unfolds in practice and what it reveals about understanding China on its own terms, read our interview with our doctoral student Sandra Michelle Röseler, co-organizer of the Max Planck Law Initiative China, Law and Society.