An insider's account of Romania's emergence from communism control In the 1970s American attorney Alfred H. Moses was approached on the streets of Bucharest by young Jews seeking help to emigrate to Israel. This became the author's mission until the communist regime fell in 1989. Before that Moses had met periodically with Romania's communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, to persuade him to allow increased Jewish emigration. This experience deepened Moses's interest in Romania—an interest that culminated in his serving as U.S. ambassador to the country from 1994 to 1997 during the Clinton administration. The ambassador's time of service in Romania came just a few years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. During this period Romania faced economic paralysis and was still buried in the rubble of communism. Over the next three years Moses helped nurture Romania's nascent democratic institutions, promoted privatization of Romania's economy, and shepherded Romania on the path toward full integration with Western institutions. Through frequent press conferences, speeches, and writings in the Romanian and Western press and in his meetings with Romanian officials at the highest level, he stated in plain language the steps Romania needed to take before it could be accepted in the West as a free and democratic country. Bucharest Diary: An American Ambassador's Journey is filled with firsthand stories, including colorful anecdotes, of the diplomacy, both public and private, that helped Romania recover from four decades of communist rule and, eventually, become a member of both NATO and the European Union. Romania still struggles today with the consequences of its history, but it has reached many of its post-communist goals, which Ambassador Moses championed at a crucial time. This book will be of special interest to readers of history and public affairs—in particular those interested in Jewish life under communist rule in Eastern Europe and how the United States and its Western partners helped rebuild an important country devastated by communism.

An exploration of the current state of global trade law in the era of Big Data and AI. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Data flows are the backbone of today’s diversified value and supply chains. In this timely book, a prominent specialist in transnational commercial and private law explores a developing and evolving area of law related to the role of the digital economy in international trade, making a direct call for the need to internationalise the law regulating transnational data flows. Examining the commonalities and divergences in data flow regulation among ten key jurisdictions – Australia, Indonesia, India, Canada, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union – the book covers such issues and topics as the following: reconciling data free flow with trust; managing the increase in data vulnerability; efforts to prohibit trade in personal data within an interconnected digital economy; obstacles to data flows and digital economic development; cybersecurity; FinTech and TechFins; cross-border insolvency; dispute resolution; and data-digital diplomacy. The author compares several bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, addressing the data-related shortcomings of these instruments and providing a pathway forward. In addition, two case studies are presented of high-profile judicial and regulatory decisions demonstrating the challenges of data flows and their governance. The author cogently demonstrates how an international legal mechanism such as a convention, treaty, or model law could provide greater certainty for data, as well as help to foster economic growth and create jobs and business opportunities. Practitioners and policymakers concerned with data security and privacy will greatly appreciate this book’s important and valuable contribution to a crucial area of law that bodes well to enhance the economic and social well-being of all.

China’s digital economy has expanded rapidly in recent years. While average digitalization of the economy remains lower than in advanced economies, digitalization is already high in certain regions and sectors, in particular e-commerce and fintech, and costal regions. Such transformation has boosted productivity growth, with varying impact on employment across sectors. Going forward, digitalization will continue to reshape the Chinese economy by improving efficiency, softening though not reversing, the downward trend of potential growth as the economy matures. The government should play a vital role in maximizing the benefits of digitalization while minimizing related risks, such as potential labor disruption, privacy infringement, emerging oligopolies, and financial risks.