On September 10, 2023, the 11th China Arbitration Week Wuhan Special Event and Forum on “Latest Development of Commercial Arbitration in the Context of Arbitration Law Revision” was successfully held in Wuhan. The Forum was co-organized by China International Economic and Arbitration Center Hubei Sub-Commission (“CIETAC Hubei Sub-Commission”) and Wuhan Arbitration Commission (“WAC”) , which aimed to build a platform for exchanges and dialogues, and to discuss the hotspots of arbitration and the way of development in the new era. Nearly 200 people, for instance, experts, corporate counsels, arbitrators, lawyers, professors and students from judicial departments, arbitration institutions, enterprises, corporate legal affairs, law firms, universities attended the forum, and more than 330,000 people watched the live broadcast of the Forum.

（In the Forum）

Gu Yan, Vice President of CIETAC Arbitration Court, Luo Ping, Executive Deputy Director of the WAC, and Mu Shuqin, Director of Wuhan Municipal Justice Bureau,  attended the Opening Ceremony and delivered speeches. Li Denghua, Deputy Director of the WAC, presided over the opening ceremony.

(Vice President Gu Yan Was Delivering a Speech in the Opening Ceremony)

In his opening speech, Vice President Gu Yan pointed out that with the optimization of China’s overall business environment, the legislative and judicial support for arbitration, and the steady progress of the reform of arbitration institutions, the attractiveness, credibility and competitiveness of China’s arbitration has continued to increase. The revision of the Arbitration Law is also on the legislative agenda. Against this background, adhering to the principle of integrity and innovation will help realize the high-quality development of China’s arbitration industry. On one hand, it is necessary to grasp the characteristics and development trend of China’s arbitration career based on national conditions; on the other hand, it is necessary to respond positively to the new requirements for arbitration services in the new era, continue to follow the development trend of international arbitration, and endeavor to meet the new needs of the development of arbitration practice. As the earliest foreign-related arbitration institution established in China and one of the top five most preferred international arbitration institutions in the world,  CIETAC, based on the national conditions and in line with the world, has continuously innovated and improved its rules and practices, especially the latest 10th edition of its arbitration rules, which is a major initiative of adhering to the principles of integrity and innovation, and hopes that it will work together with its counterparts in the field of arbitration to make contribution to the high-quality development of China’s arbitration.

(Deputy Director Luo Ping was giving a speech in the opening ceremony)

Deputy Director Luo Ping pointed out in her speech that arbitration is an important part of public legal services and plays an important role in improving the market-oriented, rule of law-oriented and internationalized business environment, and the prosperous development of arbitration legal services can promote the effective enhancement of regional competitiveness. The WAC will continue to adhere to the concept of high-quality development, adhere to “go global, bring in,  and deepen cooperation”, and continuously improve the level of arbitration and international competitiveness.

(Director Mu Shuqin was giving a speech in the opening ceremony)

Director Mu Shuqin said in her speech that high-quality economic development cannot be separated from high-quality protection of the rule of law environment, and a sound arbitration system is an important element of modern public legal services. Wuhan Municipal Justice Bureau will, as always, attach importance to and support the development of the arbitration, and promote the central region to create an internationalized, market-oriented, rule of law business environment.

(Deputy Director Li Denghua presided over the opening ceremony and the keynote speech session)

The keynote speech session was chaired by Li Denghua, Deputy Director of the WAC. Prof. Wu Handong, Director of the WAC and Honorary President of Intellectual Property Law Association of CLS,  under the theme of “Multiple Construction of Intellectual Property Rights Dispute Resolution Mechanisms and Arbitration Options”, analyzed the important role of intellectual property rights dispute resolution in the construction of a strong nation from a strategic perspective, proposed to promote the internationalization of China’s arbitration of intellectual property rights  through the synergistic cooperation of diversified mechanisms, and argued the feasibility and superiority of arbitration from the perspectives of legal basis and practice orientation. 

(Prof.Wu Handong was giving a keynote speech)

Zhou Jianian, Vice President of the High People’s Court of Hubei Province,  shared the basic situation of judicial review of commercial arbitration in the court system of Hubei in 2022 under the theme of “Judicial Practice of Hubei Courts in Supporting and Supervising Commercial Arbitration”. He said that the Hubei High People’s Court  always upholds the position of supporting the development of arbitration, performs the function of judicial supervision according to law, and will continue to improve the judicial review system of arbitration to safeguard and promote the development of arbitration in Hubei.

（Vice President Zhou Nianjia was giving a keynote speech）

Prof. Shen Sibao, Chairman of China International Economic and Trade Law Association,  on the topic “High-quality Development of China's Arbitration”, pointing out the current situation and tasks facing the development of China’s arbitration. He also mentioned that the high-quality development of China’s arbitration needs a forward view to the future, grasp the potential chances, figure out its level, and recognize the characteristics of the tides of the times and the law of development.

(Prof. Shen Sibao was giving a keynote speech)

Ms. Teresa Cheng,  Former Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong SAR and International Arbitrator, spoke on the topic of “Legal Framework for China to Become an International Arbitration Center”, suggesting that the construction of an international arbitration center should be based on the national situation and the international perspective in terms of value orientation. She advised to take the revision of the Arbitration Law as an opportunity to improve the legal system of arbitration, insisting on the dualistic system of mainland arbitration and foreign-related arbitration, and taking the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration as the legal framework for foreign-related arbitration, which would play an important role in promoting China to become an international arbitration center.

(Ms. Teresa Cheng was giving a keynote speech)

The roundtable conference session started in the afternoon firstly with a discussion on “Practice of Third Party Funding in China”, which was moderated by Chen Mai, President of the WAC. Fei Ning, Founding Partner of Hui Zhong Law Firm,  as the keynote speaker, explained the origin and prospect of the third party funding (“TPF”) system. Wang Yongqiang, Executive Dean of Lawyer and Notary School  of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law,  Liu Tao, General Manager of the Dingsong Legal Capital., Ltd,  Arthur Ma, Partner of Dahui Lawyers,  and Zhang Beibei, Assistant Researcher of Shandong University School of Law,  discussed and exchanged views respectively on practice of TPF of Chinese arbitration, the boundaries of market power, and risk control of enterprises.

(Roundtable Conference 1: Practice of Third Party Funding in China)

Roundtable conference 2, with the theme of “Disclosure Obligations of Arbitrators”, was moderated by Yang Fan, Secretary General of CIETAC Hubei Sub-Commission. Zhang Zhi, Founder of Dingsong Legal Capital., Ltd, as the guest speaker, explained the expansion of disclosure obligations in the context of TPF. Li Qian, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Wuhan Urban Construction Group,  Zheng Jie, Director of the Legal Department of WISDRI Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited,  Zhang Fakun, Professor of the Law School of Jianghan University,  and Hu Xian, Lawyer of Tahota Law Firm (Shanghai Office),  shared their observations and reflections on the real-life dilemma of the disclosure obligation of the arbitrators, the analysis of the standards, and the enhancement of the rules and guidelines.

(Roundtable conference 2: Disclosure Obligations of Arbitrators)

Roundtable Conference 3 with the theme of “Digital Economy and Online Dispute Resolution” continued to be moderated by Yang Fan, Secretary General of CIETAC Hubei Sub-Commission. Liao Li, Associate Professor of Wuhan University School of Law,  as the guest speaker, shared the characteristics, development and importance of the digital economy and its demand for online dispute resolution, as well as the problems of the latter topic and the construction of the governance framework. The guest speakers, Ai Li, Second Inspector of the Department of Commerce of Hubei Province,  An Na, General Manager of the Contract Legal Department of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co. Ltd,  Shi Zhijun, General Counsel of China First Metallurgical Group Co. Ltd,  and Qiao Xiongbing, Professor of the School of Law of Wuhan University, talked about the international rules of economics and trade and the domestic legal framework of the digital economy, the practice of digitization in enterprise management, the problems encountered in online dispute resolution, and the digitization and intelligence of arbitration. 

(Roundtable Conference 3: Digital Economy and Online Dispute Resolution)

The Forum was warm and exciting, and achieved a complete success. The successful organization of this Forum helps to strengthen the dialogue and exchange among the arbitration community, promote the innovation and seek development together, and is of great significance to the promotion of the arbitration legal system, the development of the arbitration and the construction of the talent team of arbitration.