Transformative Digital Economy, Responsive Regulatory Innovation and Contingent Network Effects : The Anatomy of E-Commerce Law in China

Digital economy in the past decades has witnessed an explosive growth momentum in China. Arguably, China has now become the leader in many fronts of global innovative digital economy. This paper fills the academic gap by explicating the evolution of one of the prime constituents of digital economy, the electronic commerce (E-commerce) sector, and its accompanying regulatory paradigm. It is opined that the explosive market development has instigated a new governance model in China. This model features innovative, participatory and collaborative regulatory approaches. It represents a polycentric paradigm facilitating technological, industrial and regulatory innovation. It is argued that such industrial and regulatory innovation casts profound implications not only cross-sectionally on many other digital economy industries within China, but also trans-nationally on global governance of innovation economy as evidenced in the ongoing clash between China and the US