On the afternoon of September 8, 2023, China Arbitration Week Special Forum-"Zero Distance between Enterprises and Arbitration" ("the Forum") was successfully held in Beijing. Focusing on the “Prevention and Settlement of Disputes in Enterprises”, the Forum was co-organized by China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission ("CIETAC"), Beijing Alumni Association of Tsinghua SEM EMBA Class of 2005, China Academy of Arbitration Law and Beijing Huamao Guigu Law Firm. Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CIETAC, delivered the video speech.

(Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CIETAC, addressing the opening ceremony)

Wang Chengjie expressed the congratulation to the Sorum. He said that General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized on optimizing the business environment, and the report of the 20th Party Congress has also put forward the requirement to create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, rule of law-oriented and internationalized. Enterprises are the most important market entities, and the ability of corporate governance decided the survival and development of the enterprise. Developing the dispute resolution ability of enterprises is an important measure to optimize the business environment, promote the development of the economy, and advance the rule of law in China. Commercial arbitration, as an important way of diversified dispute resolution, strongly protects the rights and interests of all parties with its unique attributes, such as fully respecting party autonomy, professionalism, confidentiality, the binding and final awards that can be recognized and enforced internationally, which provides a more effective solution for the prevention and resolution of corporate disputes. CIETAC is always dedicated to providing fair, efficient, convenient and cost-effective dispute resolution services, and is committed to promoting the development and integration of Chinese and international arbitration. In the future, CIETAC is willing to collaborate with various industries to facilitate the development of enterprises, further optimize the business environment, and make unremitting efforts to promote the high-quality development of China's economy and the high-level opening-up.

Mei Xiaying, Dean of the Law School of the University of International Business and Economics, moderated the session of keynote speech. Tao Hongbing, Chairman of China Visionary (Beijing) Holding Group Co., Ltd, Tan Jian, Secretary General of China Academy of Arbitration Law, and Wang Qingyou, Vice President of All China Lawyers' Association and Vice President of Beijing Lawyers' Association, were invited to deliver the keynote speeches.

(Speech session: from left to right, from top to bottom, Mei Xiaying,Tao Hongbing, Tan Jian and Wang Qingyou)

The Forum had three sessions. The Session I, with the theme "Demand and Supply of Corporate Dispute Resolution Services" was chaired by Yao Junyi, Deputy Secretary General of the Mediation Center of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). Qin Yuxiu, former General Counsel of China State Construction Corporation, Jiang Lili, Secretary General of Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Center, Huang Zhijin, Regional Director of Arbitration and ADR North Asia of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Chief Representative of Shanghai Office of ICC and Secretary General of Belt and Road Committee of ICC, andShen Yunqiao, Associate Professor of the Law School of Macao University of Science and Technology (MUST), Ph.D Supervisor, and Director of Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Center, provided the insight on corporate expectations of arbitration and the reform of arbitration system, providing high-quality dispute resolution services, effective management of conflicts, protection of entrepreneurship, and “Internet +arbitration”.

(Session I, from left to right: Yao Junyi, Jiang Lili, Qin Yuxiu, Huang Zhijin, Shen Yunqiao)

Session II, titled "Difficulties in Corporate Disputes at Home and Abroad", was moderated by Yang Yuanqing, Senior Partner of Beijing Huamao Guigu Law Firm. Prof. Zhu Hu, Vice Dean of the Law School of Renmin University of China, Fu Tong, former Vice President and General Legal Officer of Jingdong Group and Founder and CEO of Hold Capital Co., Ltd., Wang Meng, Senior Vice President and Director of Legal Center of Tus-Holdings Co., Ltd., and Shi Cuijun, Vice President and General Counsel of Total Energies China, spoke on the arbitration procedure and scope of validity, the nature of the agreement between the government and the enterprises, and the selection of the arbitration institution based on the the presence or absence of foreign factors in contracts, the cost management and business expectation in the face of dispute resolution, the case analysis services provided by third-party funding organization, especially in the assessment of whole process of overseas disputes.

(Session II, from left to right: Zhu Hu, Wang Meng, Shi Cuijun, Fu Tong, Yang Yuanqing)

Session III, titled "Your Favorite Arbitrator", was moderated by Zhao Zhimin, former General Manager of Retail Banking Department, Microfinance Department and Financial Interbank Department of China Minsheng Bank. Zhang Ye, Director of Case Management Department of CIETAC, Mo Yanbing, Senior Expert of the Department of PICC, Zheng Rungao, Arbitrator of CIETAC, and Guo Liangzhong, Founding Partner of Beijing Huamao Guigu Law Firm, shared their views from the perspectives of arbitration institutions, corporate counsels, and the difference between the principle of equity and the noble spirit of arbitration and the court.

(Session III, from left to right: Zhang Ye, Mo Yanbing, Zheng Yunhao, Guo Liangzhong, Zhao Zhimin)

Zhang Lixia, Director of the Arbitration and Lawyer Mediation Professional Committee of the All China Lawyers' Association, Vice President of China Academy of Arbitration Law, Founding Partner and Director of Beijing Huamao Guigu Law Firm, delivered the closing speech.

(Closing remarks by Zhang Lixia)

More than 50 industry experts, professors, entrepreneurs and lawyers from the arbitration and legal community attended the Forum. Nearly 1,000 people watched the forum via live broadcast.