By Jieying Ding

The Obama administration accused Beijing of subsidizing services such as information technology and worker training for industries that aim at the export market, and filed a case at W.T.O., according to The New York Times. If the administration wins the case, China can be ordered to halt the subsidies, according to W.T.O rules. Although labeled as “clear-cut” by Representative Sander Levin, the case may prove tricky as the W.T.O may see it as indirect subsidies, which are widely used by many countries, including the U.S. The next step may be for the United States to explore alternative dispute mechanism, such as a dispute resolution panel in Geneva to rule.

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March 11, 2015

By Kristen McCannon

On his HBO show Last Week Tonight, the comedian and satirist John Oliver poked fun at investor-state dispute resolution in international law. Mr. Oliver was particularly critical of the extent to which large tobacco companies have used investor-state dispute resolution to combat public health regulations in developing nations. Mr. Oliver’s criticisms are not new, and negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have already considered preventing tobacco companies from participating in investor-state disputes under the TPP.

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March 04, 2015