U.S.-Asia Law Institute

China and the Future of the High Seas: Searching for Sustainability

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

1:15 - 2:45 PM ET

Furman Hall 910 or Zoom

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About the event

China now boasts the world’s largest distant water fishing fleet, the third largest commercial shipping fleet by deadweight tonnage, advanced technology for exploring the deep sea, and its own global satellite system. It is about to complete its fifth research station in Antarctica. All this makes China a major actor in determining the future of the high seas – waters outside of national jurisdiction. Professor Liu Nengye of Singapore Management University will explain China’s views on high seas governance, starting with its stance during negotiations for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the more recent treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction. Professor Liu believes that achieving sustainability is an essential pillar of China’s approach to high seas governance.

About the speaker

LIU Nengye

LIU Nengye is an associate professor of law (with tenure) at Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. Prior to moving to Singapore in 2022, he taught at three Australian universities, most recently as associate professor and director of the Centre for Environmental Law at Macquarie University in Sydney. Professor Liu is an internationally recognized authority in the fields of the law of the sea and international environmental law. Over the past decade, he has edited two books: “The European Union and the Arctic” (Brill, 2017) and “Governing Marine Living Resources in the Polar Regions” (Edward Elgar, 2019); published more than 40 refereed journal articles (e.g., Leiden Journal of International Law, Marine Policy, Ocean Development and International Law, International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Review of European Comparative and International Environmental Law, International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law) and book chapters (e.g., Cambridge University Press, Routledge, Hart); and delivered more than 100 presentations about his research findings across five continents. Since 2021, he has been serving as co-chair of the American Society of International Law’s International Environmental Law Interest Group as is a member of the Governing Board of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law. He also sits on the editorial board of Marine Policy and Ocean Development and International Law. Professor Liu earned his PhD at Ghent University and his LLB and LLM at Wuhan University.

About the moderator

José E. Alvarez

José E. Alvarez is the Herbert and Rose Rubin Professor of International Law at New York University School of Law and the faculty director of USALI. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the Institut de Droit International, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a former president of the American Society of International Law and previous co-editor-in-chief of the American Journal of International Law. He teaches courses on international law, foreign investment, and international organizations. His more than 140 articles and book chapters and six books have made substantial scholarly contributions to a wide range of subjects within international law, including the law-generating rules of international organizations, the challenges facing international criminal tribunals, the boundaries between “public” and private,” and the legitimacy issues surrounding the international investment regime. His most recent books include The Impact of International Organizations on International Law (2017) (originating from his General Course offered at the Xiamen Academy of International Law), International Investment Law (2017), and The Boundaries of Investment Arbitration (2018).