Social Clause in Trade Agreements and China’s Experience

Haoqian Chen^*

Law School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

DOI: 10.4236/blr.2015.61001                

Abstract

The debate that whether inserting “social clause” into trade agreements is justified has been heated recently. This article illustrates how the arguments historically put forward to justify the use of the “social clause”, and how effective this mechanism can be for ensuring that work-related social issues are appropriately taken into account in the operation of international trade arrangements in the context of increasingly integrated economy.

Keywords

Social Clause, Labour Standards, Free Trade Agreement

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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