As the winner on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Region, it was our great honor toparticipate in the World Finals of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot CourtCompetition. While the indelible visit to Tokyo encouraged our spirits to forge ahead,
we fully appreciate the regional sponsor JAXA who offered material support to ourparticipation in the World Finals.
The moot court competition is a part of the 74th International Astronautical
Congress, one of the most significant international events. Experts in aerospace scienceand technology and the rule of law in space from all over the world gathered in Baku,Azerbaijan, and the moot court competition was held as scheduled, with five regional
winners around the world competing together. After preliminary rounds of selection,representatives from each of the four regions competed in the semi-finals and final
rounds to determine the final rankings of the competition.
In the end, the team from China University of Political Science and Law,representing the Asia-Pacific region, and the University of Cologne, Germany, entered
the competition to compete for the winner. The final round was held in the Supreme
Court of Azerbaijan. After 70 minutes of tense and exciting debates in front of threeincumbent Judges of the International Court of Justice, the President finally declaredthat the Respondent side, represented by our team, had won the Global Winner of theMoot Court Competition. With luck and support, this is not only the first time in decadesof Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition that a Chinese team has entered
the World Finals, but it is also the first time that a Chinese team has won the winner in
the World Round of an English-language Moot Court Competition.
At the IISL Gala dinner, we had the opportunity to talk in-depth with various space
law scholars whom we have long admired and also met the head of the organizing
committee from Japan. We were able to interact with the winning teams from eachregion and share our ideas about the understanding of this year’s case and the space law.
During this journey, there is much fun besides the competition. Thanks to theplatform provided by IAC, we had the opportunity to consult with eminent space law
scholars and aeronautical scientists in our presence. And we enjoy discussions with theyoung generation in pursuit of space careers from all over the world. Moreover, thedelicate models of the latest scientific achievements and the fancy outlooks of theaviation industry were particularly designed and displayed by various national space
agencies, including JAXA. These exhibitions not only feasted our eyes but also
rendered us an in-depth understanding of aeronautical technologies mentioned in thelegal cases.
The topic of this year’s space law moot court competition is the prevention ofmilitary use of outer space, and international cooperation. It is also consistent with thetheme of the 74th IAC--Give Space a Chance. We sincerely believe that the meaning ofthe competition is never the argument, performance, or accomplishments of lawyers oneither side. For 32 years, the long-standing competition has always been calling theworld for the peaceful use of outer space and the utilization of outer space in theinterests of all mankind.