I. Basic Information
Zhang Wenguang is an associate research fellow and associate professor at CASS Institute of International Law.He is the Deputy Director and General Secretary of the “Belt and Road” Research Base of the Supreme People’s Court of PRC. After joining Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, he conducted post-doctoral research activities in Columbia Law School of the United States and Tsinghua University, and worked as a visiting scholar in the Supreme People's Court of PRC. From 2004 to 2014, he worked as the deputy head of the Department for International Economic Law of the Institute.
He is a notable expert in the fields of maritime law, contract law, insurance law, and international economic law. He has published two monographs and three co-authored books, as well as more than 40 articles, essays and comments on law journals and newspapers.
II. Introductions to Major Academic Works
Building International Maritime Judicial Centeragainst the Background of the “Belt and Road”Initiative
The “Belt and Road” Initiative provides the shipping industry a historical opportunity for development, and demands higher service from maritime judiciary. After firmly establishing itself as the maritime judicial center of Asian-Pacific region, China now aims at building itself into an international maritime judicial center. There are three reasons for China to build itself into an international maritime judicial center: first, to serve and safeguard the national strategies, including but not limited to, constructing the “Belt and Road”, the maritime power, the shipping power, etc. Secondly, creating a rule of law and internationalized business environment. Thirdly, participating in the formulation of international rules. Now, China has the economic strength of becoming international judicial center, but also faces competitions from the historical international maritime judicial center – London - and emerging international judicial center - Singapore. To be an international maritime judicial center, China has to perfect ocean-related laws and regulations, reform maritime judicial regime, promote maritime judicial credibility, expand international judicial cooperation, and support the development of maritime arbitration.
