ABSTRACT
The use of cutting-edge technologies and the improvement of telecommunications and transport in the last few decades have led to the development of new production models based on the relocation of some phases of the production process to different countries around the world. Multinational corporations (MNCs) have replaced states as the main actors in this new international economic scenario. This phenomenon, together with its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), has contributed to transforming China into one of the main economic actors operating in the global market. In this scenario, China plays a dual role: it receives foreign investment and, simultaneously, behaves as an international investor itself. 1
This chapter aims at analyzing two sets of issues linked to this broad theme: on the one hand, it focuses on China’s international responsibility for wrongful acts connected with business activities; on the other hand, it focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR), with the aim of assessing whether and how CSR contributes to ensuring that MNCs that operate in China comply with human and social rights and environmental protection.
