Fabio Morosini, Michelle R. Sanchez-Badin, Jose Alvarez

China’s approach to international economic law is increasingly studied and debated. Its use of “soft law” instruments such as memoranda of understanding and its penchant for creating new institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have led some to conclude that China is an innovator in international economic law. Law Professors Fabio Morosini and Michelle R. Sanchez-Badin, however, examine empirical data from Chinese investments in Brazil’s energy sector and find many similarities between China and Brazil in their choice of legal tools. What really sets China apart is the size of its economy, and therefore the greater impact its actions have on the existing legal order.