The 24th John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition - East Asia & Oceania Regional Round was held at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, attracting top domestic and international universities and marking the first time the competition has been hosted on the Chinese mainland.

Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST)’s Law School team delivered an outstanding performance, ranking highly in the group stage to advance to the top four in the Asia-Pacific region and secure a spot in the semifinals. This has also earned them a place in the global finals, where they will represent the Asia-Pacific region in Geneva, Switzerland.

This competition, organized by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat with support from various research institutions and international law firms, is a premier moot court event in WTO law that comprises drafting written submissions and oral pleadings, designed to assess participating teams’ comprehensive legal competence. The judging panel featured distinguished figures such as James Bacchus, the Chairman of the WTO Appellate Body; Peter Van den Bossche, former WTO Appellate Body Member and Chair; and experts in trade and economics from both academic and practical fields worldwide. The competition’s case topic this year focused on the international issue of “critical minerals”, exploring legal challenges related to supply chain security, labor rights, and green industries under WTO multilateral trading rules, while addressing pivotal provisions of WTO regulations.

This marked the fifth year that HUST’s Law School has participated in the competition, and the second time it has advanced to the Asia-Pacific Top Four. The current team was formed in September 2025 and spent eight months conducting legal research, studying case law, refining written submissions, and undertaking multiple rounds of moot court practice.

In the semifinals, the team's oral pleadings earned high praise from numerous esteemed judges, advancing to the global finals with a higher pleading score than their opponents.

Source: Law School, HUST