Research


  • China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A New Model of Economic Governance?”, Australian Government’s Australian Research Council (ARC) 2022 Discovery Projects scheme 2022-2025, (AU$283,250) (with Heng Wang, Jonathan Bonnitcha, Ross Buckley, Matthew Erie and Wei Shen). As one of China’s most grand foreign trade and infrastructure plans, the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) involves many transnational projects that connect Asia, Europe and Africa. Under the BRI, China is constructing new norms and legal institutions to govern international economic activity, but these arrangements and their operation in practice are under-researched.  Drawing on expertise of the project team, this socio-legal project examines how the BRI is affecting the way that cross-border economic interactions are governed and explores the implications of these changes for the world economy. Focusing on cutting-edge issues including China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), investment, and dispute settlement, the team aims to not only contribute to research in the area of focus, but also to translate the research findings into practical insights for policymakers, business, practitioners, and the general public. 
  • The Social and Psychological Underpinnings of Commercial Arbitration in Europe”, Co-Investigator,Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) and the University of Leicester, 2020-2025 (led by Tony Cole).
  • Chinese Corporations’ Attitudes on International Arbitration”, Principal Investigator, Hong Kong Arbitration Charity Ball, 2015-2017 (HK$ 200,000) (in collaboration with Professor Loukas Mistelis, theSchool of International Arbitration at Queen Mary University).
  • Access to Justice: A Theoretical Analysis and Empirical Study on Judicial Mediation in China”, Principal Investigator, The Research Grants Council Early Career Scheme, 2013-2016 (HK$365,722).
  • “Promoting International Commercial Arbitration in Japan and China: Reforms and Prospects”, Principal Investigator, The SUMITOMO Foundation Fiscal 2011 Grant For Japan-related Research Projects, 2013 – 2015 (J¥ 500,000).
  • “Harmonization of Law and Divergence of Culture__A Comparative Study of Arbitration in Asia”, Principal Investigator, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 08/2012 – 05/2013 (US$45,000)
  • “Improving the Efficiency of Dispute Resolution: Is the Chinese Concept and Practice of Combining Mediation with Arbitration Exportable to the West?” Principal Investigator, RGC Research Grant 2009/2010-Direct Allocation 2090004, 04/2010 – 03/2011. (HK$ 44,944)
  • “The People’s Mediation with Chinese Characteristics” under National Social Science Key Research Projects, directed by Professor Xu Xin. Co-investigator in sub-project on the Reform of the People’s Mediation System and Legislation, 04/2010-04/2011.
  • “Transnational Arbitration in China”, FNRS project n° 100011-113801/1 funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, research assistant for Professor Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler, 10/2006 – 12.