On 16 October 2017, the 5th Annual CIETAC Conference in Hong Kong entitled, “Chapter LXI: Provisions of Breakthrough”, hosted by the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center was successfully held at Conrad, Hong Kong.

A full-house of 200 participants from the arbitration community including experienced arbitrators, legal practitioners and renowned scholars across continents, together with approximately 8,000 global online audience joining the Conference via online platform, were present at this year’s Annual CIETAC Conference in Hong Kong to witness the breakthroughs of CIETAC in 2017 as well as international arbitration community.

The Annual Conference was graced by opening addresses by Mr. Rimsky Yuen SC, JP, Secretary for Justice of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Mr. Liu Jingdong, Vice Chairman of No.4 Civil Division at the Supreme People’s Court of People’s Republic of China (“SPC”); and Mr. Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC. In attendance were also esteemed speakers for the Conference’s closing remarks — Mr. Li Hu, Deputy Secretary General of CIETAC and Mr. Wang Zhenmin, Chief of Legal Affairs at Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong S.A.R.; as well as distinguished representatives from justice bureaus, trade and commerce associations and legal associations in the audience.

In the welcoming remarks, Mr. Rimsky Yuen SC highlighted CIETAC’s leading position in the international arbitration field and expressed the Hong Kong Department of Justice’s readiness to support arbitration development together with arbitral institutions into advancing Hong Kong’s status as an international dispute resolution hub. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts by the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center in facilitating Hong Kong’s legislative progress and arbitration development.

Mr. Wang Chengjie in his opening remarks expressed gratitude to all participants of the Annual Conference and for the support by the many speakers and sponsors who altogether contributed vitally to the success of the event. Embracing the theme of the Conference, Mr. Wang gave a brief account of CIETAC’s development history and policies and emphasised the value and presence of breakthroughs throughout CIETAC’s 61 years of operation. Mr. Wang also highlighted the latest developments of CIETAC such as the release of the CIETAC International Investment Arbitration Rules and the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission Hong Kong Arbitration Center Rules as Appointing Authority in Ad Hoc Arbitrations, as well as the establishments of the CIETAC Public-Private Partnership Dispute Arbitration Center and CIETAC Silk Road Arbitration Center, and CIETAC’s recent research outcome, Guidelines for Third Party Funding of Arbitration compiled by the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center. Mr. Wang expressed that, “only through innovation, may we develop; only through innovation may we obtain a bright future”, and that CIETAC is determined to uphold its initial founding principles and to march on to a bright future against all hurdles there are to come.

In the keynote speech, Mr. Liu Jingdong showed great support from SPC to the development of arbitration at home and abroad and expressed the Chinese legal system’s preparedness to embrace the Chinese arbitration scene and to support refining international arbitration practices. 

The 2017 Annual CIETAC Conference in Hong Kong invited a distinguished line-up of speakers consisted of experienced CIETAC staff, former member of the Hong Kong Judiciary and independent arbitrator, learned legal practitioners and representatives from arbitral institution and from other professional sectors across the world.

In the first session titled, “20 Minutes on CIETAC in the year of breakthrough” moderated by Mr. Arthur Dong, Partner of Anjie Law Firm, speaker Secretary-General Dr. Wang Wenying of the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center presented 8 takeaways related to the CIETAC Investment Arbitration Rules effective as of 1 October 2017, the CIETAC Hong Kong Rules as Appointing Authority in ad hoc Arbitration effective as of 1 July 2017, and CIETAC Hong Kong’s First Enforcement Case in the Chinese mainland in December 2016. Speaker also for the first session Mr. Robert Rhoda, Partner of Bird & Bird and Working Group Member for the CIETAC Hong Kong Third Party Funding Guidelines, delivered a presentation on an 8-Minute Read of the CIETAC Hong Kong Third Party Funding Guidelines. The first session was followed by a Q&A sub-session in which speakers answered enquiries from the floor and shared insights and elaborations on the breakthroughs presented and on why CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center has now become a widely accepted premium arbitration institution.

The second session and third session were joined by distinguished panel speakers who shared valuable insights and arbitration experienced with a large crowd of audience from different corners of the world. 

The second session which embraced the title of “That Eureka Moment”, was moderated by Mr. Ing Loong Yang, Partner of Latham & Watkins and invited Mr. Denning Jin, Partner of Haiwen & Partners; Ms. Winnie Tam SC, Barrister at Des Voeux Chambers; Mr. Jing Liu, Senior Consultant at Huizhong Law Firm; Mr. James Kwan, Partner at Hogan Lovells; and Mr. Miloš Olík, Partner at Rowan Legal from the Czech Republic, to sit as panelists and to discussed breakthrough moments they experienced as lawyers which changed their views towards the conduct of arbitration.

The third session titled “Ready for the Next Big One?” was moderated by Mr. Xiusong Xing, Partner at Global Law Offices and joined by panelists including Professor Anselmo Reyes, Arbitrator at Reyes Chambers; Mr. Kevin Nash, Deputy Registrar and Centre Director of SIAC; Mr. Duncan Watson, Partner of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan; and Mr. Davyd Wong, Director and Legal Counsel at KPMG. The session explored problems found in commercial and investment arbitration and practices that leave rooms for improvement.

At the closing remarks, Mr. Li Hu of CIETAC introduced the latest CIETAC International Investment Arbitration Rules and their advantages and use in Hong Kong through the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center, as well as how they symbolise a breakthrough for the Institution and for international arbitration practice. He also expressed confidence in that the international arbitration practice offered by CIETAC would be able to provide parties with time- and cost-effective dispute resolution services. 

Mr. Wang Zhenmin in concluding the 2017 Annual CIETAC Conference in Hong Kong, explained that one of the responsibilities of the Central Government’s Office in Hong Kong is to promote legal judicial exchange and collaboration between Hong Kong and the Mainland, and to also help Hong Kong in strengthening its status as an international financial centre and an international legal service hub. He also expressed appreciation to CIETAC and the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center for creating an opportunity through the Annual Conference for arbitrators, lawyers, in-house counsel and representatives from the government to exchange views over issues and challenged associated with international arbitration from both an academic perspective and from a practical point of view.

Mr. Wang Zhenmin also described the year 2017 as an eventful and meaningful year including where the Hong Kong S.A.R. celebrated the 20th Anniversary of its Establishment. He explained that Hong Kong has a long arbitration history and it has experienced numerous significant changes in its international arbitration landscape where the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center dedicated contribution to. Mr. Wang Zhenmin marked that the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center has been very successful in fulfilling its roles and objectives as an international arbitration centre in Hong Kong. He further described Hong Kong as an ideal forum for international dispute resolution because of its ability to assume the role of a super connector for the Belt and Road Initiative with its mature financial and investment structure, sophisticated legal system and encouraging judicial environment, as well as the strong pool of legal professional talents the Hong Kong legal sector offers. Finally, he highlighted the supportive attitude of both the Central Government and the Government of Hong Kong S.A.R. in developing the Region into an international legal service centre and also as an international arbitration hub. 

The 2017 Annual CIETAC Conference in Hong Kong concluded with great success and gathered arbitration experts and interested parties from the legal industry and others, in discussing existing issues and challenges faced in international arbitration practice, as well as the potential solutions and means to develop a bright future for the international arbitration mechanism.