On November 21, 2019, "2019 Wuhan East Lake Free Trade Forum" was held in Wuhan. It was hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Investment Promotion Department (“CCPIT Investment Promotion Department”), and co-organized by CCPIT Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone Service Center, CIETAC Hubei Sub-commission and CCPIT Wuhan Branch. Leaders from the Legal Committee of Hubei Provincial People's Congress, relevant provincial departments, judicial authorities and free trade zone administration departments attended the forum.

(Scene of the forum)

The session in the morning was chaired by Yao Junyi, Secretary-General of CIETAC Hubei Sub-commission. At the opening ceremony, Gu Guangcai, Chairman of CCPIT Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone Service Center, made a speech on behalf of the CCPIT Investment Promotion Department. Gu pointed out that, in order to implement the plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on the construction of the Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone, CCPIT Investment Promotion Department organized this East Lake Free Trade Forum, which aimes to build a communication platform for enterprises from the central region, deepen reform and expand the opening up.

(Yao Junyi, Secretary-General of CIETAC Hubei Sub-commission, is chairing the forum)

(Gu Guangcai, Chairman of CCPIT Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone Service Center, is making a speech)

In his speech, Sun Yuansong, Chairman of the CCPIT Wuhan Branch, said that, as one of the three major areas of the Hubei Pilot Zone, Wuhan has achieved an increasing international influence in the fields of industry, education, culture and economy in recent years. In the new era, Wuhan should seize the opportunities, respond to the country's request for the construction of a high-standard free trade zone and a free trade port at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and bring into full play Wuhan's role as the core city of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and strategic supporting point for the rise of central China.

(Sun Yuansong, Chairman of the CCPIT Wuhan Branch, is making a speech)

In his speech, Chen Hongbo, Director of Legal Committee of Hubei Provincial People's Congress, stated that the establishment of the Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone is an important measure to promote development and reform by opening up. At present, there are still many aspects worthy of improvement for Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone. These require competent authorities at all levels of the Pilot Free Trade Zone to further optimize their services, provide high-quality legal protection, and resolve conflicts and disputes, thereby working together to build a fair and efficient legal system for Pilot Free Trade Zone.

(Chen Hongbo, Director of Legal Committee of Hubei Provincial People's Congress, is making a speech)

In the subsequent topical speech session, Liu Yi, Executive Chairman of the World International Brand Development Commission, Xie Shengqiang, Deputy Director of the Investment Research Institute of Tongji University, Zhang Shixiao, Professor of Hubei University of Economics, Zheng Shaohua, President Assistant of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, respectively delivered speeches on the topics of “the development of Free Trade Port and Free Trade Zone Should Be Driven by International Brand Trade”, “Financial Technology and Development of Free Trade Zone", "Thoughts and Suggestions on the Development of Technology and Finance of Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone", and "Rule of Law Experiment in Free Trade Pilot Zone from the Perspective of Business".

(From left to right: Liu Yi, Executive Chairman of the World International Brand Development Commission; Xie Shengqiang, Deputy Director of the Investment Research Institute of Tongji University; Zhang Shixiao, Professor of Hubei University of Economics; Zheng Shaohua, President Assistant of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics)

The session in the afternoon was chaired by Ai Li, Inspector of the Department of Commerce of Hubei Province. Hu Yan, Chairman of CCPIT Wuhan Mediation Center, Liu Yanfen, Chairman of Cross-border E-commerce Branch of Hubei Province Chu Business Association, Yang Yi, General Manager of Wutong Chuhua Capital, and Zhang Han, Manager of Transaction Banking Department of China Merchants Bank Wuhan Branch, respectively introduced to the participating enterprises how CCPIT’s commercial legal services helped enterprises in free trade zone go global, the practice of promoting international transformation and upgrading of private enterprises by cross-border e-commerce in the free trade zone, investment bank’s functional development in the free trade zone in the new era of international economic and trade, and China Merchants Bank's free trade finance comprehensive service plan.

(Ai Li, Inspector of the Department of Commerce of Hubei Province, is chairing the session)

(From left to right: Hu Yan, Chairman of CCPIT Wuhan Mediation Center; Liu Yanfen, Chairman of Cross-border E-commerce Branch of Hubei Province Chu Business Association; Yang Yi, General Manager of Wutong Chuhua Capital; Zhang Han, Manager of Transaction Banking Department of China Merchants Bank Wuhan Branch)

At the final "roundtable dialogue" session, Cao Yinong, Member of the Standing Committee of Hubei Provincial People's Congress and Partner of Hubei Shenjiantong Law Firm, Yao Junyi, Secretary-General of CIETAC Hubei Sub-commission, Kong Lingbo, Member of the Party Working Committee of Xiangyang Hi-tech Development Zone, Deputy Director of the Management Committee, Full-time Deputy Director of China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone Xiangyang Area, Peng Si, Director of the Business Division 1 of the China Export Credit Insurance Corporation Hubei Branch, and Wang Wenyuan, a lawyer from Hubei Jinwei (Hubei Free Trade Zone Wuhan Area) Law firm, exchanged views from angles of new requirements for legal professional services in the Pilot Free Trade Zone, innovation and exploration of the commercial arbitration system in the Pilot Free Trade Zone, reform achievements and development prospects of the Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone Xiangyang Area, insurance schemes for investment and financing of export enterprises, and information sharing of financial policy in the free trade zone. Yao Junyi, Secretary-General of CIETAC Hubei Sub-commission, pointed out that the business environment of the pilot free trade zone is closely related to the commercial arbitration system. The future of Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone is promising and has the conditions to become a regional or even an international arbitration center. CIETAC Hubei Sub-commission is willing to work with other arbitration institutions, to compete in an orderly and open environment, so as to help enterprises prevent and resolve legal risks in the free trade zone and jointly enhance the international competitiveness of enterprises from central china.

(The roundtable dialogue)

This forum attracted nearly 200 lawyers, legal counsels, company executives, teachers and students from Hubei, Shanghai, Hebei and Jiangxi. Participants actively shared views and provided suggestions on the construction of Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone. By analyzing the problems faced by the pilot free trade zone, the forum gave suggestions for improving the system of the pilot free trade zone, which would help enterprises make full use of the policy advantages of the pilot free trade zone for innovative development and promote the Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone to a higher level.