The China-EU School of Law (CESL) at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) is the first law school which was approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the People's Republic of China under the "Sino-foreign Schools Agreement." Former Premier Wen Jiabao expressed his hope that "CESL will educate a great cohort of talented legal professionals equipped with knowledge spanning both Chinese and Western law". The ceremony took place at CUPL's Changping campus in the presence of Jose Manuel Barroso, then President of the European Commission, and Li Keqiang, then Vice Premier of the State Council and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of China's Communist Party.

CESL is a unique institute for educating law students; for conducting and facilitating legal research and consultancy; for professional training of judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and other legal professionals; and a platform for China-EU research, teaching, legal academic and professional exchanges and collaboration.