On 24 October 2026, the 2026 China–ASEAN Xishan Forum was held at Guizhou University. Prof. José Paulo Afonso Esperança of the Faculty of Business was invited to attend the sub-forum on "Innovation and Practice in Cross-Border Legal Services", where he delivered a keynote speech entitled "Legal Challenges to Investment in Emerging Markets".
The forum was hosted by Guizhou University and co-organized by the Law School of Guizhou University, the Graduate School of Guizhou University, the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation of Guizhou University, and the Research Society of International Law under the Guizhou Provincial Law Society. More than 50 scholars and practitioners from universities in Macau, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, and mainland China, as well as from the Higher People's Court of Guizhou Province, the Guizhou Provincial People's Procuratorate, the Department of Justice of Guizhou Province, Guiyang Customs District, and Guizhou Lawyers Association, attended the forum.
In his keynote speech, Prof. Esperança noted that Chinese enterprises are entering emerging markets through increasingly diverse modes, including greenfield investment, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, export trade, franchising, and management contracts. However, the rule of law varies considerably from one host country to another, and legal risks run through the entire investment process. He emphasized that even fully compliant enterprises may still suffer losses due to defective equity structures, the joint liability of partners, and legal pluralism in host countries.
To address these challenges, Prof. Esperança suggested that law schools in mainland China join forces with law faculties in host countries, enterprises going global, and legal practice institutions to jointly promote talent development, corporate empowerment, and knowledge sharing through academic partnerships, field research, executive training, and academic seminars, thereby helping Chinese enterprises enhance their capacity to identify and prevent legal risks as they "go global".
Prof. Esperança's participation as a keynote speaker reflects the Faculty of Business of City University of Macau's continued commitment to interdisciplinary research, industry–university–research collaboration, and international academic exchange. By bringing together universities, judicial organs, and legal practice institutions from mainland China and ASEAN countries, the forum provided valuable opportunities for the Faculty to advance cross-disciplinary research at the intersection of business and law and to expand its network for corporate case studies and practical cooperation. It further strengthened exchanges between the Faculty and outstanding institutions in mainland China and overseas research institutions, fostering a dialogue between academic research and business practice.