The 'Labour Relationship' in Chinese Jurisprudence: Mistranslating Definitional Barriers to Labour Protection

Abstract

The construction of the ‘employment relationship’ in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) merits close analysis for several compelling reasons. China’s huge urban workforce of more than 400 million means that PRC labour law regulates more workers than any other jurisdiction. The country’s global clout grows daily; China’s gross domestic product is already the world’s largest based on purchasing power parity and will surpass the United States in nominal GDP over the next decade. This domestic economic power is increasingly projected internationally, as international investments, now spearheaded by the ‘belt and road initiative’, reach across the globe. The regulatory consequences of this influence for other countries, including on labour, are already being analysed and debated.

Keywords: labour law, Chinese, jurisprudence

JEL Classification: K00, K31