Skip to Main Content

Researching the People's Republic of China (Focus: Business Laws): Finding Aids

This research guide will point you to several general resources for conducting foreign law research, and focus more specifically on China and laws governing businesses in that jurisdiction.

Legal Systems of the World (focus: Asian and Pacific nations)

Albert HY Chen, An Introduction to the Legal System of the People's Republic of China (2018)
Cornell Law School, Overview of Legal Systems in the Asia-Pacific Region (2004)
Covers India, Japan, Singapore, People's Republic of China, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan
Daniel C.K. Chow, The Legal System of the People's Republic of China in a Nutshell (2015)
E. Ann Bell and Gary F. Black, Law and Legal Institutions of Asia (2011)
Juriglobe World Legal System
University of Ottawa resource that graphically illustrates different legal systems.
Law China Info: Legal System of China (Introduction)
Peter Wesley- Smith, An Introduction to the Hong Kong Legal System (1998)
Werner Menski, Comparative Law in a Global Context: the legal systems of Asia and Africa
Covers African, Chinese, Islamic, and Hindu law and legal system.

Guides to Legal Research in Countries Other than the US

GlobaLex - Online guide to 100+ legal research guides for foreign jurisidictions.
Thomas Reynolds & Arturo Flores, Foreign Law Guide: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World - Describes foreign legal systems and key sources of foreign laws, regulations and cases. Includes cites to English-language translations of primary legal materials and cites to some secondary sources.

Indexes to Laws and Legislation

Hieros Gamos
Lexadin: The World Law Guide
Mirela Roznovschi, Foreign Databases by Jurisdiction
Evaluates web sites adn databases concerning approximately 50 foreign jurisdictions. Describes sources in English and the vernacular.
World Legal Information Institute