CEALS Hosts Discussion on Chinese Companies in the U.S. Legal System

The Center for East Asian Legal Studies welcomed Professor Ji Li to campus on Monday, October 13, for a discussion on how Chinese multinational companies navigate the U.S. legal system. Almost fifty in-person and online participants joined the session.

Professor Li, the John S. and Marilyn Long Professor of U.S.-China Business and Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, presented insights from his book Negotiating Legality, which explores how Chinese firms such as TikTok are adapting to American legal challenges amid intensifying U.S.-China geopolitical tensions.

The book introduces a dual institutional framework to analyze the adaptation strategies of Chinese companies and draws on extensive interviews and multi-year survey data. Professor Li’s research explains how Chinese firms build in-house legal capacities, collaborate with U.S. legal professionals, and manage litigation in American courts.

During the talk, Professor Li shared key findings, offering insights into China’s global rise and its influence on the legal systems of developed nations like the United States.