Published by Oxford University press, sponsored by Chinese Society of International Law and Wuhan University Institute of International Law, edited by Professor Sienho Yee, Chinese Journal of International Law (abbreviated as Chinese JIL) achieved its impact factor in 2015 (according to the data of SSCI and JCR on June 15, 2016) higher than 1, 1.184, for the first time in the 14 years in history. It ranked second among the three comprehensive journals of international law: American Journal of International Law(AJIL), Chinese Journal of International Law (Chinese JIL) and European Journal of International Law (EJIL) (AJIL, more than 100 years old, ranked first). It also surpassed the Leiden Journal of International Law (Leiden JIL) and International & Comparative Law Quarterly (ICLQ) these two principal characteristics. Among the 147 SSCI journals of law, Chinese JIL ranks the 51st, or the top 35%; among the 86 journals in international relations, it ranked 27th, or top 31%.
The magazine was founded in 2002 by the late renowned international jurist Mr. Wang Tieya and Professor Sienho Yee. The current editor is Professor Sienho Yee, chief expert of Wuhan University Institute of International Law, and academician of Institute of International Law. Mr. Shi Jiuyong, former President of the International Court of Justice and former senior justice, serves as honorary chairman of the editorial board. Professor Zeng Lingliang, senior professor of humanities and social sciences of Wuhan university, executive director of the board of the National High-level Think Tank, Wuhan University Institute of International Law, serves as the honorary editor.
Since 2005, this journal has been the only journal of international law published by Oxford University Press in the Asian-Pacific region. In 2008, it was selected to be the SSCI source journal of the United States. As the second comprehensive international law journal outside the United States that joined the SSCI, it then became, and now still is, the only SSCI source journal of law sponsored by scholars in mainland China.
Chinese Journal of International Law, as an independent, peer-reviewed comprehensive English Journal of international law, is published four times a year. 60% of the length is for Chinese scholars’ new perspectives, insights and theories towards major theoretical and practical issues on public international law, private international law and international economic law, or articles written by foreign scholars but about China. The main columns include Editor's Note, Thesis, Commentary and Essay, Court Commentary, Academic Contention, Book Review and Chinese Practice Materials.
After 15 years of extraordinary history, Chinese Journal of International Law has achieved gratifying success, and its academic impact (impact factor) has been increasing year by year. Meanwhile, articles published in the journal have been cited by the Court of Appeal of the HKSAR in its awards, the relevant state governments in their submissions to the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
