China Seminar | 10 October 2013

Reflections on Eight Years in China: Economic, Social, and Legal Change at Warp Speed

Lawrence C. Foster

China has a long, rich history of relatively slow change. Since 1978 however, the pace of change has increased dramatically, and especially since the mid-1980s when the government’s opening policies really began to have their effect. Professor Foster will address some of the more significant changes he witnessed in China between 2005 and 2013, including the rise of the middle class, significant developments in China’s legal system, the rise of social media, and urbanization.

Lawrence C. Foster started to learn Chinese and made his first trip to Asia (Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong) in the 1960s. His education includes a Ph.D. in Chinese language and literature and a law degree. Larry’s professional career includes a professorship of Chinese language and literature, a lawyer and Dean and professor of the UH Law School. From 2005 to 2013, while living in Shanghai, Larry was a Senior Consultant at a major international Chinese law firm and a mentor for young Chinese lawyers. He has also been an affiliate professor at Beijing University’s School of Transnational Law in Shenzhen, China. Larry is an elected member of the governing council of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, a past-President of the international alumni association of EWC, a member of Law Asia and the American Bar Association’s China Law Committee, and a trustee for Tokai University in Honolulu.