In particular, the NCLC focuses on the role law can play in regulating economic behaviour and balancing public and private interests. The centre aims to fulfill a bridge function between the Netherlands and China, between academia and practice, and between law and the social sciences.

The NCLC is the first academic centre in the Netherlands specializing in the study of Chinese law. It was established at the Amsterdam Law School of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in June 2010, following more than a decade of academic research and cooperation between the Netherlands and China.