Economics, Law and Policy
type: channel
description: Economics, Law and Policy (ELP) is an international open-access journal published by Scholink. The journal is published in both print and online versions. In order to give all researchers equal opportunity to share their ideas, ELP adopts double-blind peer-review. ELP focuses on scholarly research and practical experience of a wide range of research areas within the general field which covers, but is not limited to the following areas: Economic Theory Economic Philosophy Economic Development Law and Economics Legal History and Theory Civil Law International Law Comparative Law Public Law Technology Law Public and Social Policy Education Policy Environmental Policy Monetary Policy Language Policy EU Policy Science and Innovation Policy Foreign Policy --------------------------------------------------------------------------- We welcome scholars and researchers engaged in the related fields to submit their manuscripts to GRHE. Both of online submission and E-mail submission (elp@scholink.org) are acceptable. Open access: Economics, Law and Policy is available online to the reader "without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself". Peer review: Economics, Law and Policy takes peer review policy. Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people of similar competence to the producers of the work (peers). <img src="[binary]" alt="" width="350" height="459" />
publisher: SCHOLINK INC.
language: en-US
publication name: Economics, Law and Policy
issn: 2576-2060
copyright: Authors who publish with this journal must agree to the following terms: Copyrights for articles published in our are retained by the authors. Authors should promise that their works are entirely original, and all the references in their works should be appropriately cited or quoted. The works have not been published previously. The behavior of submitting the same work to other journals is unacceptable. The journal editor has the right to edit the format of works.
items: Research on Legal Pathways for Resolving Local Government Debt Risks in China
items: Legal Regulation of Malicious Trademark Squatting in the Context of the Digital Economy
items: The Dilemma and Perfection of the “Substituted Decision-Making” Mechanism in the Protection of Minors’ Personal Information
items: Rule-of-Law Practice in Northeast China Against the Background of Comprehensive Revitalization
items: Legal Controversies and Institutional Construction of Deep-Sea Mining within the Framework of International Law of the Sea
items: Research on the Application of Academic Autonomy and Judicial Review—Taking the Granting and Revocation of Degrees as Examples
items: Research on the Legal Issue of “Borrowing A Name to Buy A House”

Research on Legal Pathways for Resolving Local Government Debt Risks in China
type: item
description: In recent years, China’s local government debt issues have drawn widespread attention. Since 2014, the government has introduced a series of policies to resolve debt problems and prevent systemic risks. When administrative measures alone prove insufficient to address government debt, restructuring local government finances emerges as an effective path to resolve the debt crisis. This paper employs government fiscal data from 2014 to 2023, along with 2023 data compared to the previous year, to empirically examine the actual state of government debt. Findings reveal severe local government debt issues, manifested in: substantial outstanding debt balances; declining fiscal self-sufficiency rates; rising debt-to-revenue ratios; increasing liability ratios; and expanded issuance of local government bonds and urban investment bonds. Subsequently, the paper proposes a phased approach to resolving local government debt. This includes establishing specialized restructuring standards for urban investment companies, developing refined restructuring criteria for local governments, and strengthening the guiding role of the central government. The study provides a new case for international comparative research on the legal resolution of local government debt and offers fresh perspectives for exploring debt restructuring protections for Chinese local governments.
creator: Yingying Wu
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Yingying Wu http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-01-07
publication date: 2026-01-07
volume: 9
number: 1
starting page: 1
doi: 10.22158/elp.v9n1p1

Legal Regulation of Malicious Trademark Squatting in the Context of the Digital Economy
type: item
description: The fast rise of the digital economy has deeply altered the intellectual property rights landscape, it’s like a double-edged sword, promoting innovation and also providing a place for bad actors to squat on trademarks. In this paper, it is investigated how trademark squatting behaviors mutated in the digital era as the registration process is cheaper due to the digital era and the value of digital traffic which makes it motivating for “bad faith” actors to pre-emptively reserve names tied to trend, internet slang and digital assets like NFTs and metaverse properties. Unlike previous squatting, it is sporadic and targeted squatting; while digital squatting has high frequency, automation, and cross-border characteristics, making it a new type of intellectual property squatting that has been industrialized. Through a thorough review of existing laws this paper finds regulatory gaps mainly because of the difficulty in identifying “bad faith” and regulating non-traditional digital marks. After reading data from statistical data, case types; it has indicated the flaws of facing such a rapid and speedy paced digital mark through the usage-based or registration-based pre-existing system. In the paper a multidimension regulatory approach is proposed, advocating AI use in trademark examination, dynamic “bad faith” blacklist and modification of “intent to use” requirement to counter digital speculation. The results show that we can only adapt a legal evolution that can protect the trademark system from the disruptive nature of the digital economy so that the law can protect real commerce instead of just commerce by extortion.
creator: Wang Chongsheng
creator: Yang Kaixuan
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Wang Chongsheng, Yang Kaixuan http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-01-12
publication date: 2026-01-12
volume: 9
number: 1
starting page: 26
doi: 10.22158/elp.v9n1p26

The Dilemma and Perfection of the “Substituted Decision-Making” Mechanism in the Protection of Minors’ Personal Information
type: item
description: In the context of the digital economy, the protection of minors’ personal information encounters challenges in coordination and implementation, necessitating stronger institutional safeguards. Such information embodies dual interests: the minor’s own personal information rights and the parental guardianship rights. Effective governance requires clear age thresholds and balanced consideration of relevant interests. Central to the legal framework is the guardian consent mechanism, which is based on the “substituted decision-making” model from civil guardianship theory. To address practical gaps, this mechanism should be refined in terms of identity verification, validity of consent, and consent withdrawal. Enhancing these aspects can help resolve key difficulties in protecting minors’ personal data.
creator: Xinyu Liu
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Xinyu Liu http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-01-13
publication date: 2026-01-13
volume: 9
number: 1
starting page: 35
doi: 10.22158/elp.v9n1p35

Rule-of-Law Practice in Northeast China Against the Background of Comprehensive Revitalization
type: item
description: To advance the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China in the new era and on the new journey, it is imperative to implement the strategic blueprint outlined at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which calls for achieving new breakthroughs in the region’s holistic rejuvenation. From the perspective of rule-of-law development in the three northeastern provinces and the eastern Inner Mongolia autonomous region, this paper examines the background and essence of rule-of-law thinking, and provides a detailed analysis of the progress made in key areas such as promoting scientific legislation, rigorous law enforcement, impartial justice, and fostering a law-abiding society across the Northeast. By improving legislation in critical and emerging sectors, refining accountability mechanisms for administrative law enforcement personnel to enhance professional standards, and implementing diversified dispute-resolution mechanisms, the region is steadily moving toward an ideal scenario in which everyone abides by the law, legal channels are utilized to resolve issues, and conflicts are settled through legal means. Furthermore, it identifies existing challenges in the current rule-of-law construction process, including the lagging legislative system in some economic and social fields, the insufficient coordination between law enforcement departments, and the need to further enhance the legal awareness of the general public. Based on these analyses, the paper puts forward targeted countermeasures and suggestions, aiming to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for optimizing the rule-of-law environment in Northeast China, thereby creating a solid legal guarantee for the region’s high-quality development and comprehensive revitalization.
creator: Lu Jiawen
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Lu Jiawen http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-01-16
publication date: 2026-01-16
volume: 9
number: 1
starting page: 44
doi: 10.22158/elp.v9n1p44

Legal Controversies and Institutional Construction of Deep-Sea Mining within the Framework of International Law of the Sea
type: item
description: Use of minerals in the international seabed area (the “Area”) can be deemed one of the most important frontiers in today’s modern international law by virtue of its own value of minerals from the “Area” and conflicting matter of the fragile eco-system of “Area”. Following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), The area and its resource were called “the common heritage of mankind”, it will be necessary to create some kind of a system that is effective, fair and is with a sound premise for protecting environment in future. However, while the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is transitioning from regulating exploration to formulating the Mining Code for exploitation, deep-seated legal controversies have arisen. These disputes revolve around how to implement the precautionary principle, how to distribute the financial benefits of equitably, what the gaps in liability for environmental damage are, and what procedural pressure is caused by the so-called “two-year rule”. This paper analyzes these legal controversies, and explores the conflict between the rights of the sponsors and the environmental obligations of the international community. It criticizes the current draft regulations and suggests the reform of the institutions to enhance the ISA’s ability of independent surveillance and to create a tight financial mechanism. By studying in detail the legal framework and the current situation of negotiations, this study believes that a more scientific bottom line that can be legally compliant and based on the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea needs to be established. The paper finishes with some very specific institutional constructions that can make sure deep sea mining will be able to add to world’s collective lot, and not just its detriment.
creator: Song Jiaxin
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Song Jiaxin http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-01-19
publication date: 2026-01-19
volume: 9
number: 1
starting page: 56
doi: 10.22158/elp.v9n1p56

Research on the Application of Academic Autonomy and Judicial Review—Taking the Granting and Revocation of Degrees as Examples
type: item
description: Based on the analysis of typical academic degree cases such as “Tian Yong v. Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications,” “Zhang Xiangyang v. Wuhan University,” and “He Xiaoqiang v. Xiamen University,” it is evident that academic autonomy remains one of the contentious issues in the rule of law within higher education institutions. Relying solely on the self-management of academic autonomy within universities to resolve degree-related disputes is insufficient and cannot fundamentally address the conflict between students’ right to education and the autonomy of higher education institutions. Utilizing judicial power to examine procedural deficiencies in degree disputes is crucial for protecting the legitimate rights and interests of students and purifying the academic environment. In practice, academic autonomy and judicial review exhibit a relationship of interdependence, potential conflict, and balanced development. Clarifying their relationship, defining the nature of academic autonomy in judicial review, determining the limits and intensity of judicial review based on the core principles of academic autonomy, and implementing resolution mechanisms that emphasize both procedural and substantive reviews of academic autonomy can help address issues such as unclear factual determinations in judicial practice and insufficient enforcement of judgments.
creator: Chen Jiaxuan
creator: Xing Zheng
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Chen Jiaxuan, Xing Zheng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-01-26
publication date: 2026-01-26
volume: 9
number: 1
starting page: 66
doi: 10.22158/elp.v9n1p66

Research on the Legal Issue of “Borrowing A Name to Buy A House”
type: item
description: With the development of the economy of the times, the phenomenon of buying houses in the real estate market is not uncommon, and its legal risks continue to emerge with policy regulation and debt disputes. This paper analyzes the validity of the borrowed name purchase contract, the ownership of real rights and the review standards of enforcement objections by borrowed names by combining judicial practice and academic disputes, and proposes to construct a judicial adjudication framework for borrowed house purchase disputes by improving the rules of evidence, balancing the publicity of real rights and factual real rights, and strengthening the enforcement objection review procedures, so as to safeguard the security of transactions and the legitimate rights and interests of the parties.
creator: Wang Zhixuan
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Wang Zhixuan http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-01-26
publication date: 2026-01-26
volume: 9
number: 1
starting page: 76
doi: 10.22158/elp.v9n1p76