Participants at the Inaugural Sino-American Dialogue on the Rule of Law and Human Rights

To promote high-level exchange and discussion of law and human rights issues in the United States and China, the National Committee and the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD) co-organized the Sino-American Dialogue on the Rule of Law and Human Rights in December, 2009. The third meeting of the dialogue will be held in September, 2011.

The dialogue’s inaugural session was held in Nantong, Jiangsu Province. Leading American and Chinese legal officials, academics and attorneys gathered to discuss developments in four areas of law that affect human rights: (1) open government and government secrecy, (2) pretrial detention, (3) the role of lawyers and (4) non-judicial punishment. This Track II dialogue was the first of its kind to be hosted by non-government organizations in the two countries. It came on the heels of the November 17, 2009 meeting of President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao’s in Beijing, where the two leaders agreed to hold official dialogues on the rule of law and human rights.

The dialogue includes experts representing a wide array of legal institutions (China’s National People’s Congress, State Council, Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ministry of Justice as well as provincial and local bureaus; U.S. federal judiciary, Departments of Commerce and Justice; and defense bars and academia of both countries). These experts bring multiple institutional perspectives to each of the issue areas, which adds greater focus and depth to the discussions. The exchanges have prompted experts from both countries to reflect on their own legal practices and consider alternative approaches to addressing issues in legal reform. Discussants have pledged further cooperation and support for each others’ work on rule of law and human rights issues.

Jerome A. Cohen 孔杰荣 - Professor of Law, Founder & Co-director, U.S. Asia Law Institute, New York University Law School; Of counsel (retired partner), Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Barbara Fredericks - Assistant General Counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce; Adjunct Professor of Law Georgetown Law Center

Daniel L. Greenberg - Special Counsel, Schulte, Roth & Zabel, LLP; former President, The Legal Aid Society

James B. Jacobs - Chief Warren E. Burger Professor of Constitutional Law and the Courts, New York University Law School

Jamie P. Horsley 贺诗礼 - Scholar & Lecturer in law, Yale Law School; Deputy Director, The China Law Center, Yale Law School

Nicolas C. Howson 郝山 - Assistant Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School

Margaret K. Lewis 陆梅吉 - Associate Professor, Seton Hall University Law School

Daniel J. Metcalfe - Adjunct Professor of Law & Executive Director, Collaboration on Government Secrecy, American University Law School; formerly founding director, Office of Information and Privacy, U.S. Department of Justice

The Hon. Sidney H. Stein - U.S. District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

The Hon. John M. Walker Jr. - Senior Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Ting Wang 汪汀 - Coordinator for Law & Economics Initiatives, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (staff)

Yu-Jie Chen 陈玉洁 - Guanghua Research Fellow, U.S. Asia Law institute, New York University Law School (observer)

Jeremy Daum - Research Fellow, U.S. Asia Law institute, New York University Law School (observer)

June Y. Mei 梅缵月 - Interpreter

Cai Dingjian 蔡定剑 - Director, Institute for Constitutional Law, China University of Political Science and Law; former member, National People's Congress Secretariat

Cheng Jie 程洁 - Professor of Law, Tsinghua University Law School

Chen Weidong 陈卫东 - Director, Research Center for Procedural and Judicial Reform, Renmin University School of China

Chen Fayun 陈发云 - Senior Partner, Jin Ding Partners, Nanjing; Director, Jiangsu Bar Association

Du Guoxing 杜国兴 - Director, Department for the Guidance of Lawyers and Public Notaries, Ministry of Justice

Han Muxin 韩慕新 - Partner, Century LLP; former staffer, Legislative Affairs Commission, Standing Committee, National People’s Congress

He Rikai 贺日开 - Director, Teaching and Research Center of Constitutional and Administrative Law, Nanjing Normal University Law School

Hu Yuhong 胡玉鸿 - Executive Dean & Professor, Suzhou University Law School

Huang Li 黄利 - Adjunct Professor, Procedural Law Research Institute, China University of Political Science and Law

Huang Mengfu 黄孟复 - Vice-Chairman, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Chairman, CFHRD

Li Zhongcheng 李忠诚 - Deputy Director, Office for the Inspection of Dereliction of Duty and Malfeasance, Supreme People’s Procuratorate

Lin Bocheng 林伯成 - Vice-Chairman & Secretary-General, CFHRD

Liu Guozhu 刘国柱 - Professor of History, Zhejiang University

Liu Wanqi 刘万奇 - Chair, Department of Law, Chinese People’s Public Security University

Liu Wei 刘崴 - Deputy Secretary-General, CFHRD

Qu Xuewu 屈学武 - Deputy Director, Criminal Law Office, Institute of Law, China Academy of Social Sciences

Sun Jian 孙建 - Adjunct Researcher, Division 2, Research Center, Ministry of Justice

Teng Wei 腾炜 - Deputy Director General, Criminal Law Department, Legislative Affairs Commission, National People's Congress Standing Committee

Tian Wenchang 田文昌 - Chairman, Criminal Law Department, All China Lawyers’ Association; Director & Partner, Jingdu Law Firm, Beijing

Zhai Jian 翟建 - Director & Partner, Zhai Jian Law Firm, Shanghai

Zhang Li 张莉 - Director, Legal Services Department, CFHRD

Zhao Zhenhua 赵振华 - Deputy Director, Government Legal System Research Center, Legislative Affairs Office, State Council

Zhou Haiyang 周海洋 - Judge, Civil Justice Division, Research Center, Supreme People’s Court

The National Committee is grateful of program funding from The Starr Foundation and the U.S.-China Legal Cooperation Fund.