REPORT ON THE BEIJING
REGIONAL CONFERENCE
of the ISFL, July 19-22, 2004
Table of Contents
Report on the Beijing Regional Conference
Notice of Rescheduled Conference
The Beijing Regional Conference of the ISFL was held July 19-22, 2004, at the Beijing Friendship Hotel in Beijing, China. The theme of the conference, recommended by our collaborating family law professors from China, was “Divorce: Causes and Consequences.” We had were a total of 54 papers presented at the conference by participants from at least 22 nations. Twelve of the presentations were by Chinese presenters. We also had six Muslim participants who spoke about Islamic family law and gave a very good introduction. With the Chinese participants, as well as Japanese and Korean participants explaining Japanese and Korean family law, and others presenting about Macao family law, Hong Kong family law, and Malaysian (Muslim) family law, the Beijing Regional conference provided a very valuable introduction to family law (especially divorce law) in Asia. Presenters at the conference were mostly family law professors, with a few other professors and professionals in related disciplines (such as sociology and psychology) with interests in family law and divorce. Approximately 100 people were present both days (though actual attendance varied as people came late or left early to various sessions, a Chinese co-host reported nearly 125 people attended, but official registration was about 90).
We stayed in and the conference sessions were held at the Beijing Friendship Hotel, a lovely multi-building garden hotel in northwest Beijing. The conference room was a very comfortable, spacious conference room at the hotel, with soft seats, projectors, and simultaneous translation (English-Chinese and vice versa).
Our co-host was the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) (recommended by John Dewar) and their faculty and staff did a wonderful job of arranging for the logistics, the meeting place, etc. They published a handsome printed softbound book of 519 pages that contained the presentations drafts of the papers of the conference. All participants received the book at registration. Thus, participants were able to follow along and read the papers as they heard them being presented, and to make notes in the published papers as they heard the presentations. Our faculty co-hosts from CUPL were Professor Wu, the most famous living family law professor in China, who has recently retired from full-time teaching by who is still involved in the university; Professor Xia, who has taken Professor Wu’s place; Professor Yang, the director of the International Exchange Center, whose staff did a marvelous job with the logistics; and Professor Yang, the dean of the law school at CUPL.
We had two full days of presentations. All of the presentations were plenary; we did not split into breakout sessions and so all of the audience was able to hear all of the presentations. We were welcomed at the opening session by the president of China University of Political Science and Law, the dean of the law school, the Vice-minister of the Ministry of Justice of the Peoples Republic of China, and the Vice-chair of the China Women’s Federation. We had a wonderful banquet Tuesday night concluding the sessions at a famous 600-year-old restaurant that specializes in Peking duck.
On Wednesday and Thursday we boarded buses for field trips to professional and cultural sites. On Wednesday we visited first the Great Hall of the People, the building that houses the legislature of China, where we visited several of the delegation rooms and the Great Hall itself (the Hall of 10,000 delegates, as it is called) where the legislators from all of the provinces and regions of China come to make laws. It so happens that there was a orchestra and choir in that room that day rehearsing for a musical tribute to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Deng Jao Ping who opened up China to the world. (It is said that Mao is respected but Deng is loved by the people because he made their lives better.) We also visited Tiannemen Square, had a wonderful lunch, visited the world-famous Women’s Center for Legal Aid of Peking University, and then went to the Summer Palace and had a wonderful tour through the Summer Palace made famous by the Empress Dowager who effectively ruled China for more than a decade from that location. On Thursday we were taken by bus to see the Great Wall of China, to have a wonderful lunch at a Chinese Tea House, and then took a quick bus tour through the China University of Political Science and Law suburban campus for 10,000 undergraduates.
The International Society of Family Law was well represented at the Conference by eight officers or Council-members. In addition to myself, Paul Vlaardingerbrook, Treasurer, Bea Verschraegen, Vice-president, and Executive Council members Koji Ono (Japan), Bong Hee Han (Korea), Olga Dyzhueva (Russia), Patrick Parkinson (Australia), and Maria Donata Panforti (Italy) were present. We had excellent support from the members of our society in Japan and Korea who attended in good number and made many presentations. Professor Bon Hee Han brought a very large group from Korea who made many presentations, and Professor Ono not only presented a paper but brought a delegation from Japan..
By all accounts, the conference seemed to be very successful. Frankly, it exceeded my expectations. Given the postponement of one year due to SARS, and the bureaucratic challenge of so many people from so many different countries getting the proper visas, I was thrilled with the participation (no one who had planned to come this July was absent - there were no “no-shows”). The facilities were excellent, the meals very good, and field-trips were very interesting, and the scientific program was truly exceptional. The conference theme was very timely. Divorce rates have been rising or have risen in China as in most other countries discussed at the conference, and that is a matter of concern in many nations. (For example, we learned at the conference that there has been a doubling of the divorce rate in China in the last 13 years, and a trebling in the last 20 years.) Likewise, the consequences of divorce including the impoverishment of women and children, socialization and alienation problems that children experience and economic effects on the government and society in general are of grave concern. The causes of divorce are of worry as they include abuse, domestic violence, infidelity, immaturity, lack of commitment, alienation, and disintegration of the importance of family and family bonds. So the discussion was relevant, current, and timely.
Professor Yang of CUPL is interested in publishing a book of the proceedings
of the conference. Many of the participants said this was one of the most valuable
conferences they had ever attended. I think a book would be valuable to publish.
Many Chinese professors showed a great interest in being more involved in this
International Society of Family Law. Paul Vlaardingerbroek had so many requests
for membership applications he had to have more copies made. Many people inquired
about the ISFL World Conference next year. We need to take advantage of this
opportunity to follow up well so that we don’t lose the initiative that
we have and take the opportunity to reach out to Chinese family law professors
as China is opening its doors to the world. A relatively small percentage of
the Chinese family law professors speak fluent English, but most of them are
anxious to learn and to have greater contact with foreign professors and learn
about other legal systems and to tell others about the Chinese family law system.
Professor Xia of CUPL expressed an interest in hosting a world conference in
Beijing in four or five years.
China has changed dramatically and quickly in recent years. There are many more cars on the street, much more traffic, many fewer bicycles today than there were just 21 months ago when I was here. The country is very deliberately and dynamically opening up to the west. There were construction cranes everywhere in Beijing. The country is preparing to host the 2008 Summer Olympics and leaders seem determined to make the most of that opportunity to entice business and enterprises of all sorts, including academic enterprises, to get involved with and to invest in China.
Notice of Conference and Call for Papers
International Society of Family Law Regional Conference in Beijing, China
July 21-24, 2003
Divorce: Causes and Consequences
The International Society of Family Law is pleased to announce that it is sponsoring
a Regional Conference in Beijing, China, on July 21-24, 2003. Professors Wu,
Yang, and Xia from the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing
are collaborating with Professor Lynn D. Wardle of the ISFL in planning and
hosting the conference, and they indicate that Chinese family law professors
and government officials will be participating in the conference. There will
be translation services. We invite interested academics and professionals (including
judges and other government officials) to submit proposals to present papers
at the conference, or to just register to attend the conference.
Preliminary (not final) details of the conference are as follows:
1. Conference Theme: “Divorce: Causes and Consequences.” (Specific
subjects might include comparative divorce, principles, rules, procedures, practices,
issues, and problems in divorce regulation and administration, and the causes
and effects of divorce.)
2. Location for both the conference and the meals and lodging would be the Friendship
Hotel or Minzu Hotel, or another good hotel of similar quality in Beijing.
3. Lodging fee: tentatively about 70-80US$(including breakfast and fee). Each
participant will pay for his or her own lodging.
4. Conference schedule: The conference meetings will be pm Monday and Tuesday
(July 21 & 22). On Wednesday, conference participants will be taken on a
one-day field trip to visit a Chinese Family Court, a law firm or legal service
center for women, the Great Hall of the People, and a university (law school)
- as available. Thursday will be for historical and cultural sight-seeing, and
the hosts will arrange for some optional tours (to the Forbidden City, and to
the Great Wall).
5. The registration fee for non-Chinese participants will be about 462US$, This
consists of two main expenses: (a) The general registration fees is 282US$ which
covers site and other expenses including the paper book (each participant will
get one papers collection before the conference), meeting facility, equipment,
copying, supplies, conference meals, field trips and sightseeing, transportation.
(b) The translation fee for translating all the papers from Chinese to English
or from English to Chinese, simultaneous interpreters, rent for the equipment
of simultaneous interpretation, etc., is 180US$. So, the total registration
fee of one participant will be 462US$, not including the lodging fee. Accompanying
persons will pay a fee of about 125 US$ to cover the evening meals/ banquet
and the field trip and sightseeing trip.
6. The conference registration fee would include lunch and/or dinner on all
conference days. The hotel registration fee would include breakfast every day
following a night in the hotel.
7. Professor Lynn D. Wardle is the co-ordinator for the non-Chinese participants.
My contact information is -- address: 518 JRCB, Brigham Young University, Provo,
UT 84602; tele (801) 422-2617; fax 422-0391; Email: lynn_wardle@byu.edu .
8. Participants will need to get visas to enter China for the conference.
We invite scholars and professionals interested in presenting papers at this
conference to submit a one or two paragraph description of their proposed paper.
They should also provide the following information: Their Name, Title or Position,
University or Institution where employed, post address, telephone, fax, and
email, and a one-paragraph (100-word) mini-resume. The paper proposal (with
contact information and mini-resume) should be submitted to Professor Lynn D.
Wardle by email (prefereably) at <lynn_wardle@byu.edu> or by fax or post
to the contact information above. Paper proposals must be received no later
than April 1, 2003.
The final papers that are accepted for presentation should be no more than 10-pages,
single-spaced, including endnotes (not footnotes).
For further information or registration details, contact Professor Lynn D. Wardle
(contact information above).