On July 12, the “First Annual Forum on Global Labor Governance,” co-hosted by the School of Labor and Human Resources at Renmin University of China and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for China and Mongolia, and organized by the School of Labor and Human Resources, was held grandly at Renmin University of China.

The forum, themed “Knowledge Systems, Institutional Arrangements, and Management Practices for Sustainable Global Development,” attracted nearly a hundred experts, scholars, and industry leaders from governments, international organizations, universities, and enterprises. They gathered to discuss cutting-edge issues in global labor governance.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Liu Xiangbo, Vice Dean of the School of Labor and Human Resources at Renmin University of China.

At the opening ceremony, Professor Zhao Zhong, Dean of the School of Labor and Human Resources, delivered a speech. On behalf of the school, he extended a warm welcome to all guests and expressed special gratitude to the ILO Office for China and Mongolia for their strong support of the forum. He pointed out that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. With the intertwined influence of technological innovation, geopolitics, climate change, and demographic transformation, building a fair, inclusive, and sustainable labor governance system has become a major issue for the international community. He emphasized that as Chinese enterprises accelerate their pace of “going global,” China urgently needs to enhance its institutional capacity in cross-border labor governance and compliance management. This is both a practical challenge and an opportunity for theoretical innovation. He expressed his sincere hope that this forum would promote in-depth dialogue and intellectual exchange, advancing global labor governance from theory to practice and from consensus to action. He also reaffirmed the school’s commitment to continuing its collaboration with international organizations and all sectors to jointly address the critical issues of our times.

Module I: Globalization and the Construction of an Independent Knowledge System in Labor Relations

This module was chaired by Professor Liu Xiangbo, with four experts presenting from both international and Chinese perspectives.

Mr. Li Changhui, Director of the ILO Office for China and Mongolia, delivered a keynote speech entitled “Employment, Rights, and Growth: Strengthening Linkages.” Drawing on ILO data, he noted that the link between global economic growth and the protection of workers’ rights is weakening, leaving workers with a sense of “disillusionment.” This is not merely an economic issue but a confidence crisis—one that strikes at the heart of social cohesion and social justice. He stressed the urgent need to rebuild a virtuous cycle among growth, rights, and confidence through social dialogue and institutional innovation, enabling people to voice concerns on issues that directly affect their lives and participate in shaping solutions for humanity’s shared future. He further highlighted that technological progress and climate change are both challenges and opportunities. The “augmenting effect” of artificial intelligence outweighs its “substitution effect,” and thus, beyond job quantity, attention must be paid to job quality—including the constraints algorithmic management places on autonomy and the privacy challenges posed by digital surveillance. Finally, he cited China’s practices in green and digital transitions, urging greater emphasis on the role of “enterprise democratic management” systems to empower workers in decision-making.

Professor Yang Weiguo, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, and Professor at Renmin University’s School of Labor and Human Resources, gave a keynote on overseas human resource services (OHRS) in the context of Chinese enterprises’ “going global.” He systematically elaborated on the path from compliance to innovation. Professor Yang pointed out that as China’s globalization accelerates, with growing outward direct investment and labor cooperation, OHRS has become an essential pillar supporting national strategy. Using case studies, he compared differences across countries regarding contract dispatch legality and anti-discrimination hiring bans. He proposed that enterprises should build a compliance framework integrating “law + agreements + institutions,” and dynamically track host-country labor laws and policies such as quotas for foreign workers. Facing the twin trends of digitalization and globalization, he argued that OHRS should upgrade into “human capital services,” emphasizing organizational innovation, technological empowerment, and social security reform. He called on Chinese companies overseas to balance standardization with localization, and to engage in social dialogue, employee empowerment, and ESG practices to better integrate into host communities.

Professor Tang Kuang of Renmin University of China analyzed the legislative process and key provisions of Singapore’s Platform Workers Act and its implications for China’s platform worker protection legislation. He first introduced the Act’s background and development, emphasizing that it not only balances flexibility in the platform economy with worker rights protections but also offers significant insights for other countries, especially regarding collective bargaining rights. He noted three major problems in China: the absence of dedicated legislation, inconsistent identity definitions, and inadequate adaptability of the current labor security system. Professor Tang proposed clarifying the legal identity of platform workers, exploring dedicated legislation, and building a rights protection system. He stressed that Singapore’s government-led, multi-stakeholder legislative model effectively resolves disputes in platform work. For China, future legislation should prioritize flexibility and scalability—first ensuring basic protections, and later refining sector-specific rules to adapt to the platform economy’s dynamic development.

Professor Liu Mingwei, Associate Dean of the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University, delivered a keynote speech entitled “Models and Challenges of Human Resource Management in Overseas Chinese Enterprises.” He provided an in-depth analysis of opportunities and challenges facing Chinese enterprises during globalization. Using data, he demonstrated the rapid growth of China’s outward investment and overseas employment. However, amid intensifying geopolitical risks, enterprises face growing challenges—such as insufficient implementation of social responsibility and infringements on worker rights. He emphasized that multinational enterprises must balance globalization with localization, adapting to host-country legal and cultural contexts while maintaining parent-company advantages. He recommended that companies adopt an “institutional distance–localization” analytical framework to choose suitable management models, strengthen cross-cultural training, and improve stakeholder engagement. Finally, Professor Liu called for closer collaboration between academia and enterprises to jointly develop a uniquely Chinese theory of multinational HRM, contributing to high-quality global expansion.

Module II: Global Labor Policy and Practice

This module was chaired by Associate Professor Zhang Hao, Head of the Department of Labor Relations at Renmin University of China.

One major outcome of the forum was the release of the flagship annual report, jointly issued by Renmin University’s School of Labor and Human Resources and the ILO Office for China and Mongolia: “Social Dialogue Report 2024 — High-Level Social Dialogue to Promote Economic Development and Social Progress” (Chinese edition). The report focuses on high-level social dialogue as a core mechanism for coordinating diverse stakeholders, analyzing its strategic role in responding to global labor transformations. Its advocated approach—“balancing efficiency and equity through institutionalized consultation”-aligns closely with China’s strategic path toward common prosperity and modernization. It provides valuable reference for improving foreign-related labor law, regulating new employment forms, and resolving contradictions in industrial transformation, while offering strong theoretical support for global labor governance. 

Director Li Changhui provided a brief introduction to the report’s core content. He then joined Dean Zhao Zhong, Professor Liu Mingwei, and Professor Lin Jia (Director of the Institute of Labor Law and Social Security Law at Renmin University) in a roundtable discussion. They explored topics including social dialogue mechanisms, labor legislation, and globalization’s impact on labor relations. The discussion aimed to generate ideas for the sustainable development of labor governance systems in China and globally. Dean Zhao emphasized that in the context of rapid industrialization and digital transformation, China’s labor market faces unique challenges. As a complementary mechanism to government and market, social dialogue can quickly build consensus and balance interests. He stressed that China’s experience with gradual reform and opening provides significant wisdom for global social dialogue. Professor Lin added that China’s tripartite consultation mechanism, collective contract system, and workers’ congress represent localized innovations in social dialogue, proving effective especially at resolving grassroots disputes. Director Li noted that technological progress and AI diffusion will reshape labor relations, with digitalization posing risks of “social isolation”. Social dialogue, he argued, must reinforce collective worker identity. Professor Liu raised forward-looking issues such as “universal basic income,” emphasizing the critical role of social consensus in policy advancement. He highlighted that China’s tripartite mechanism, with its broad coverage and strong execution, has proven resilient, particularly in times of crisis. Experts suggested enhancing grassroots representation in social dialogue and further integrating socialist rule of law with Chinese-style enterprise democratic management, providing developing countries with governance models balancing efficiency and equity.

Following the roundtable, Professor Lin Jia delivered a keynote speech entitled “The Trade-Related Development of Labor Issues and the Challenges to Labor Law”. She analyzed the trend of linking labor issues with international trade and its impact on labor law systems. Lin observed that as the global influence of the WTO declines, regional trade agreements have become dominant. Developed economies, particularly the U.S. and EU, are actively embedding labor clauses into trade agreements, tying labor protections to trade relations—creating the phenomenon of “trade-ification of labor issues.” She identified four characteristics: deep linkage with international labor standards, direct impact on domestic legislation and enforcement, establishment of specialized labor dispute mechanisms, and compulsory remedies for violations. She proposed four countermeasures accordingly.

Dr. Wang Tianyu, Research Fellow at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, delivered a video presentation entitled “Local Resources for Labor Compliance in Chinese Enterprises Going Global”. Drawing on domestic and international cases, he analyzed the challenges of exporting Chinese labor governance models while adapting to host environments. He suggested incubating compliance capacity through free trade zones. He argued that Chinese enterprises export not only capital and technology but also a distinctive labor management culture, such as “warming activities” and localized labor practices, which significantly enhance cohesion. However, he stressed the importance of pre-departure “employment quality inspections” to evaluate compliance awareness, management capacity, and financial readiness. His insights offered both theoretical and practical guidance for enterprises’ overseas compliance.

Module III: Enterprises “Going Global” and HRM Transformation

This module was chaired by Associate Professor Luo Nanfeng, Head of the Department of Human Resource Management at Renmin University of China.

Professor Wu Qingjun, Director of the Labor Relations Research Institute at Renmin University of China, delivered a keynote entitled “Restructuring Domestic Supply Chains and Changes in the Labor Market under New Circumstances”. He examined interactions between China’s “dual circulation” development strategy, domestic supply chain restructuring, and labor market dynamics. He stressed that global industrial restructuring and trade frictions impose higher demands on domestic labor policy. In particular, digitalized supply chain coordination has expanded flexible employment, requiring policy safeguards to prevent worsening labor conditions due to excessive competition.

Associate Professor Zhang Hao presented a keynote entitled “Managing Labor Relations of Overseas Workers: Disputes, Challenges, and Strategies”. He analyzed labor relations disputes arising from China’s overseas expansion and proposed strategies for resolution. He noted the growing frequency of disputes involving pay rights, equal employment rights, and occupational health and safety, especially in Southeast Asia and Africa. He identified root causes, including irregular employment models, cross-cultural conflicts, and host-country legal variations. He emphasized that overseas labor relations management is not only a legal matter but also vital for Chinese enterprises’ survival and sustainable development abroad. He urged greater sensitivity to cross-cultural management, stakeholder engagement, and host-country integration—focusing on local employment standards, inclusive policies, and union protections to balance globalization with localization.

Dr. Liang Xiaohui, Deputy Chief Economist of the China Textile Information Center and Chief Researcher at the Office of Social Responsibility of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, analyzed the link between labor rights due diligence and HRM in the context of supply chain globalization. He stressed that supply chains, while central to competitiveness, can also serve as tools for exploitation. He urged Chinese enterprises to align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), fulfilling responsibilities to respect labor rights and manage risks through due diligence. He recommended that HR compliance serve as the “ballast stone” of overseas supply chains, fostering a community of shared responsibility for labor rights and HRM, narrowing internal–external employment gaps, and strengthening headquarters–local coordination.

Lawyer Wang Tianyi, Partner at Jiang Delta Law Firm and Director of the Center for Foreign Labor Law, delivered a keynote entitled “Key Points of Overseas Employment Compliance for Chinese Enterprises”. She analyzed legal risks and sustainable strategies for Chinese enterprises abroad. She emphasized three core areas: employment model design, adaptation to labor standards, and legalization of management processes. Using cases, she highlighted recruitment, foreign employee entry, and exit management as priority areas. She concluded that Chinese enterprises must drive both “legal compliance” and “social responsibility,” mitigating risks through refined HRM while enhancing international soft power through ESG practices.

In the concluding session, Director Li Changhui and Dean Zhao Zhong, on behalf of the organizers, delivered closing remarks. They expressed sincere gratitude to all participants and organizers, reviewed highlights and achievements, and looked ahead to future cooperation. Both emphasized the need for continued collaboration to explore innovative pathways in global labor governance, contributing wisdom and solutions from the labor field to the building of a community with a shared future for humankind.

The successful hosting of this forum inaugurated the Annual Forum on Global Labor Governance as a flagship project, pioneering a new paradigm of multidimensional dialogue in global labor governance. The forum brought together diverse perspectives from governments, academia, enterprises, and international organizations, addressing both macro frameworks and concrete practices such as platform labor regulation, multinational compliance, and worker rights protection. The outcomes not only expanded academic understanding but also provided policymakers and managers with actionable solutions.

Looking ahead, the forum will continue to inject sustained momentum into building a fairer, more inclusive, and more sustainable global labor governance system, ensuring that innovations in labor governance benefit workers worldwide and lay a solid foundation for sustainable global development. The School of Labor and Human Resources at Renmin University of China is committed to developing the “Global Labor Governance” brand project. This will be built around five major institutionalized initiatives: the annual flagship forum, lecture series, innovation talent programs, student exchanges, and professional training. Upcoming initiatives include a delegation visit to ILO headquarters in Switzerland in September and a joint academic forum on “The Changing World of Work in the AI Era and Challenges in Global Governance”. These efforts aim to further strengthen cooperation with international organizations and society, providing continuous intellectual support for China’s participation in the reform and development of global labor governance systems.