On the Legal Guarantees for the Sustainable Development of China-African Business Relations

　　Background and Significance of the Project:

　　Since the establishment of the China-Africa Forum on Cooperation in 2000, China-Africa business relation has witnessed rapid growth. As a result, quantities of legal issues arose from such a business transactions, covering civil and commercial, labor, cross-border crimes, etc. Business relation between China and Africa will be damaged unless the legal issues are settled efficiently. The governments from both sides have realized the importance of settling such legal issues and the action plans adopted at the previous FOCAC conferences have paid great attention to such issues. But among academic circles from China or Africa, such issues have not attracted the same attention. Considering the role the law plays in the cross-border economic transactions, such issues should be taken seriously. This research project will focus on such legal issues impacting China-Africa business relation. Though such a research, not only will the dialogue between China and African side on such issues be enhanced, but also the sound legal guarantees for China-Africa sustainable business relation will be proposed so that such a business relation will be regulated according to the rule of law, which will provide certainty and predictability to China-Africa business relation. On the other hand, the research project will also provide a good example to the business relations between China and other BR countries about how the business relation may be maintained sustainable. In such a sense, the research project is of great academic and practical significance.

　　The Objectives and Framework of This Research:

　　The objectives of the research project is to provide suggestions on the legal guarantees of the sustainable development of China-Africa business relations based on the findings from the research conducted by the team members from China and Africa.

　　The framework of the research project:

　　I. The Status quo of China-Africa business relation and the problems existed

　　II. The legal issues that the Chinese came across in Africa

　　III. The legal issues that the African came across in China

　　IV. The existing legal framework regulating China-Africa business relation and its efficiency

　　V. Conclusion and suggestion

　　（This research project is being jointly undertaken by Prof. ZHU Weidong, from the Institute of West Asian and African Studies, CASS and Dr. Tadesse Kassa Woldetsadi, from the Center of Human Rights, College of Law, Addis Ababa University.）