| AALCO | Asia-Africa Legal Consultative Organisation |
| AANZFTA | Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement |
| ACIA | Association of Southeast Asian Nations Comprehensive Investment Agreement |
| ADB | Asian Development Bank |
| ADR | Alternative Dispute Resolution |
| AEC | Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community |
| AIIB | Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank |
| AIR | ASEAN Investment Regime |
| APEC | Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation |
| APPI | Association of Southeast Asian Nations Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investment |
| ASEAN | Association of Southeast Asian Nations |
| BIT | Bilateral Investment Treaty |
| BRI | Belt and Road Initiative |
| CEE | Central and Eastern Europe |
| CEG | Center of Economic Gravity |
| CETA | Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement |
| CBD | China Development Bank |
| ChAFTA | China-Australia Free Trade Agreement |
| CIC | China Investment Corporation |
| CIETAC | China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission |
| CJEU | Court of Justice of the European Union |
| CSR | Corporate Social Responsibility |
| DID | Difference in Differences Estimation |
| DSB | Dispute Settlement Body |
| DSU | Dispute Settlement Understanding |
| EAEU | Eurasian Economic Union |
| EPA | Economic Partnership Agreement |
| ECJ | European Court of Justice |
| ECT | Energy Charter Treaty |
| EU | European Union |
| FET | Fair and Equitable Treatment |
| FDI | Foreign Direct Investment |
| FOCAC | Forum on China-Africa Cooperation |
| FPIC | Free, Prior and Informed Consent |
Free Trade Agreement | |
| FTAAP | Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific |
| FTZ | Free Trade Zone |
| GATT | General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade |
| GATS | General Agreement on Trade in Services |
| GCC | Gulf Cooperation Council |
| GDP | Gross Domestic Product |
| G16+ | Group 16 Plus 1 |
| HKIAC | Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre |
| ICC | International Chamber of Commerce |
| ICJ | International Court of Justice |
| ICSID | International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes |
| IIA | International Investment Agreements |
| IFC | International Finance Corporation |
| ILO | International Labour Organisation |
| IMF | International Monetary Fund |
| ISA | Investment State Arbitration |
| ISDS | Investor-State Dispute Settlement |
| LCIA | London Court of International Arbitration |
| MBD | Multilateral Development Bank |
| MES | Market Economy Status |
| MFN | Most-Favoured Nation |
| MNE | Multinational Enterprises |
| MOFCOM | Ministry of Commerce |
| MOTIE | Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy |
| MSR | Maritime Silk Road |
| NAFTA | North America Free Trade Agreement |
| NDB | New Development Bank |
| NDRC | National Development and Reform Commission |
| NGO | Non-governmental Organisation |
| NPC | National People’s Congress |
| NSR | Northern Sea Route |
| NT | National Treatment |
| OBOR | One Belt One Road |
| ODI | Outward Direct Investment |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development |
| OIA | Overseas Investment Act 2005 |
| PPP | Public-Private Partnership |
| PRC | People’s Republic of China |
| PMSC | Private Maritime Security Companies |
Production Sharing Contract | |
| RCEP | Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership |
| SOE | State-Owned Enterprise |
| SCC | Stockholm Chamber of Commerce |
| SAR | Special Administrative Regions |
| SCO | Shanghai Cooperation Organisation |
| SDR | Special Drawing Right |
| SOE | State Owned Enterprise |
| SRF | Silk Road Development Fund |
| SREB | Silk Road Economic Belt |
| SRM | Surplus Recycling Mechanism |
| SWF | Sovereign Wealth Fund |
| TAI | Thai Arbitration Institute |
| TFA | Trade Facilitation Agreement |
| TiSA | Trade in Services Agreement |
| TFEU | Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union |
| TTIP | Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership |
| TPP | Trans-Pacific Partnership |
| TRIMS | Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNCITRAL | United Nations Commission on International Trade Law |
| UNCTAD | United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
| UNSC | United Nations Security Council |
| USD | United States Dollar |
| VLCT | Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969 |
| VCST | Vienna Convention on State Succession in Treaties |
| WTO | World Trade Organization |