The Legal Construction of Immigrant China

Speakers: Dr Mimi Zou & Prof Bjorn Ahl

Panel on China's Immigration Laws and Regulations From former NBA players and UEFA football players to African traders, entrepreneurs, and foreign students, China has become an emerging destination for international migrants over the past two decades. The enactment of new immigration legislation in 2013 and recent changes to employment immigration rules represent significant developments in regulating new immigration patterns. There has also been growing public antagonism towards foreigners in some parts of China, reflected in public security campaigns to combat the so-called ‘three illegalities’ (sanfei) of illegal entry, illegal residence, and illegal work. In this panel, two experts on China immigration law will critically examine the new regulatory regime and its implications for foreign immigrants, particularly those entering China in the employment stream. ‘Bonfire of the Illegalities? The Paradox of China’s New Immigrant Law’ Dr Mimi Zou is the inaugural Fangda Career Development Fellow in Chinese Commercial Law at St Hugh’s College, in association with the Oxford Law Faculty and the Oxford China Centre. Prior to her current appointment, Dr Zou was Edwards Fellow at Columbia Law School, Assistant Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Senior Researcher at Utrecht University. For over 15 years, Dr Zou has worked in international law firms, international organizations, government departments, and financial institutions in Asia-Pacific and Europe. ‘Recent Reforms in the Chinese Employment Immigration Stream’ Björn Ahl is Professor and Chair of Chinese Legal Culture in the University of Cologne. He has held teaching and research positions at the Chinese University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, the City University of Hong Kong, Nanjing University and the Max Planck Institute. He has also served as a legal clerk. Björn Ahl is President of the European China Law Studies Association; Fellow at the Center for Chinese Law of the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law; and Board Member of the Sino German Jurists Association.