Conclusion

This concluding chapter summarises the significance of this book’s main research findings, focusing on the challenges raised by the legal principlesLegal principles embedded in Chinese Free Trade Agreements (hereinafter FTAFree Trade AgreementFTA) when contrasted with liberal models enshrined in the laws of the World Trade Organisation (hereinafter WTO) or the leading legal regimes of the United States or European Union. It further elaborates on this book’s main contributions to legal scholarship on international trade law and China, namely how China uses its twin strategy combining socialist market economy principles with a Developmental State model to justify State intervention in the economy. It then demonstrates where China is clearly distinctive from other Developmental States. This chapter further provides a normative critique of the utility of China’s FTA strategies for both China and its trading partners. Finally, this chapter addresses how this book, by juxtaposing liberal, Developmental State, and socialist market economy perspectives, engenders broader implications on (a) how international trade lawInternational tradeinternational trade law is approached; and (b) how China identifies itself in the world trading system. The chapter and book conclude with the recognition that although China’s socialist market economy and the analysed liberal regimes are difficult to reconcile with each other on specific issues like data governance or State-owned enterprises, State intervention in the economy, as reflected in China’s twin strategy, is not inexorably anathema to existing international trade rules.