General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW3310 |
| Course name: | Selected Topics in International and Comparative Law |
| Programme offered under: | LLB Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Designated research course: | Not applicable |
| Specialization: | Not applicable |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | No |
| Credit point value: | 6 credits |
[This course is cross-listed to LLM elective. Senior year LLB students (i.e. LLB 3-4 and Double Degree 4-5) are allowed to take certain LLM courses as their law electives but subject to meet certain requirements (please see LLB course selection guidelines).]
1.2 Course description
The course covers the practice and perspectives of China on international law (including international economic law) and the impact of a rising China on the rule-based world order. It critically assesses Chinas international legal behaviour and evaluates the growing influence of China in the development of international law and institutions. Topics covered may include China’s historical engagement with international law, Chinese domestic law and politics and their impact on China’s foreign policy and international legal behaviour, China’s territorial and maritime disputes with other nations, Chinese practice on the law of treaties, jurisdiction and immunities, human rights, the environment and the use of force, the question of Taiwan, the questions of Xinjiang and Tibet, Hong Kong and Macau and One Country Two Systems, Chinas integration in the global trade and financial systems, Belt and Road initiatives and international economic law, etc.
The syllabus of the unit and its assessment are designed to develop your knowledge, skills and competence in the critical understanding of the complex relationship between the international legal order and an emerging superpower that subscribes to a distinctive set of social, historical and cultural assumptions and practices.
The unit requires that you have studied the unit of Public International Law. Pre-existing knowledge of Chinese law or Chinese language is not required.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Ling Bing | TBA | TBC | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Form a broad understanding of Chinese practice and perspectives on international law and their impact on the development of international law and institutions.
CLO 2 Be able to critically analyse and assess both the immediate and long-term challenges posed by a rising China to the rule-based world order.
CLO 3 Be able to critically analyse and assess the interrelationship between China’s international legal behaviour and its domestic law and politics.
CLO 4 Gain a broad understanding on the role of international law in the social and economic reform and cultural transformation in modern China.
CLO 5 Develop a capacity to carry out independent research in the area of international law and China.
2.2 LLB Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link: https://course.law.hku.hk/llb-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Mid-term assignment | 50% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | |
| Take home exam | 50% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by course convenor(s).
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3 hours / week for 11 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 11 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/