Rivista di Diritto dell’Asia Orientale

“The Legal Systems of East Asia in the Geopolitics of Law: Security, Sovereignty, and Technology”

Theme

The relationship between geopolitics and law in East Asia is today of central importance to the study of the region and its impact on global dynamics. The geopolitical use of law in East Asia unfolds along three distinct yet interrelated dimensions, each corresponding to a specific notion of security: (i) national security; (ii) economic security; and (iii) technological and digital security.

National security encompasses considerations related to the pursuit of geopolitical, strategic or military interests. It also includes measures aimed at protecting the constitutional order of the legal systems concerned – whether democratic or not – from external and internal threats.

Economic security is equally central, as the geopolitical use of law finds its primary field of application in the economic domain. With the blurring of the divide between public and private law, we witness a proliferation of legal instruments designed to paralyse rival economies, consolidate supply chains and subordinate the private sector to the pursuit of various national interests.

National security and economic security partially converge in the context of the datafication of the economy and the quest for sovereignty over cyberspace. Moreover, the collection of personal or otherwise strategic data – resulting from the digitalisation of goods and services – blurs the line between dual-use and civilian goods, further contributing to the overlap between these different levels of analysis.

Scope of the Call

This call for papers invites contributions examining the pursuit of security-related objectives in East Asia, on topics such as:

a) National security:

• Emergence, development and evolution of the notion in its relationship with law; expansion of the role of public law into the private sphere and instances of deregulation;
• Relationship with constitutionally protected rights;
• Security, essential functions of the state and the expansion of executive power;
• Geopolitical risk in contract and insurance law;
• Information, disinformation, hybrid warfare;
• Resilience, security and safety of strategic infrastructures and critical sectors;
• The role of investments on the chessboard of international politics and foreign investment screening mechanisms;
• Commercial arbitration, dispute resolution and the governance of transnational economic relations;
• The principle of extraterritoriality, sanctions, export controls and their impact on global value chains.

b) Economic security:

• Legislation and formalisation of economic planning and programming mechanisms, and instruments of public intervention in the economy;
• Corporate governance, control and corporate liability;
• State shareholdings and public intervention to support economic resilience;
• The interplay between competition law and industrial policies;
• Due diligence and corporate responsibility;
• The obsolescence of traditional international organisations and the emergence of new regional bodies;
• Reorganisation of global value chains: reshoring, friend-shoring and geographical diversification.

c) Technological and digital security:

• Strategic technologies and artificial intelligence: innovation, autonomy and governance;
• Data governance and digital sovereignty;
• Data access, data sharing and data localisation;
• Industrial data and trade secrets;
• Cybersecurity and digital resilience;
• Semiconductors and export controls;
• Space law, the space economy and satellite networks;
• Intellectual property, trade secrets and restrictions on technology acquisitions.

Analyses may focus on domestic, international or comparative law – including the potential circulation of legal models within East Asia and from East Asia outward – provided they are relevant to the study of the geopolitics of law in the East Asian context.

The journal also welcomes original contributions outside the scope of this call for papers, relating to current issues or topics central to the debate in the legal systems of East Asia. Particularly welcome are reviews of monographic works, case notes, and legislative notes. Short contributions on specific cases or regulatory developments and doctrinal debates of particular interest are also appreciated.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts must be original contributions and not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Contributions must meet academic standards and may include empirical research, theoretical analysis, case studies, or policy evaluations.

Papers must be written in Italian or English and formatted according to the publisher’s guidelines (https://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/en/edizioni4/static-page/norme-redazionali/) and the journal guidelines (https://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/en/edizioni4/riviste/rivista-di-diritto-dellasia-orientale/#guidelines).

Please submit an abstract (250-300 words) describing the proposed contribution, together with author details and affiliations.

Important Dates

Abstract submission deadline: 14 June 2026

Notification of acceptance: 29 June 2026

Full paper submission deadline: 31 July 2026

Publication Details

Accepted contributions will be subject to double-blind peer review.

Contacts

For further information, please write to: redazione.ridao@unive.it.