From the Editors

Perspectives, Vol. 3, No. 3

As this issue of Perspectives comes out, we are stepping into the year of 2002. Reflecting on the events in the past year, particularly those of and after September 11, we are convinced more than ever of the
importance of dialogues which, rather than confrontations, are ultimately the only way leading to mutual understanding and harmonious coexistence among different groups, nations and cultures. Thanks to the
participation of our authors and readers, we believe that Perspectives has in the past played a positive role in facilitating discussions and bridging differences, and we plan to continue to do so in the upcoming years.

In this issue, we present five articles on various topics. In a commentary, James RIM tests the constitutionality of the American anti-terrorism measures against the equal protection jurisprudence. Under the "Economics" column, Xuefeng BAO introduces the concept of market making and the structure of the index futures market in the U.S.. Also in this issue, Jiangyu ZHU completes her comparative study of outside director liabilities and corporate governance structure in the United States and China, and Xinyi WANG explores the implications of a recent WTO panel decision on the mandatory-discretionary legislation dichotomy under the WTO Agreements. Finally, we present a report by Bo LI and Junling MA on their recent teaching and research trip to Renmin University of China in Beijing.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue of Perspectives and welcome your comments, suggestions and article contributions.

Best wishes for the new year.

The Editors