On September 23, 2023, the Rule of Law and Cooperation Forum, a parallel forum of the 2023 Global Business and Legal Conference, was successfully held in Beijing. The forum was organized by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), hosted by China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and CCPIT Commercial Legal Service Center (CLSC), and co-hosted by China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC) and China Academy of Arbitration Law (CAAL). Zhang Shaogang, Vice Chairman of CCPIT, Lucy Reed, Honorary President of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), and Zheng Zhenyu, Deputy Director of Bureau of Public Legal Services Administration of the Ministry of Justice delivered the opening ceremony. Officials from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, the Development Research Center of the State Council, the Fourth Civil Division of the Supreme People's Court, and the Fourth Procuratorate Department of the Supreme People's Procuratorate attended the meeting. Representatives from international organizations and dispute resolution institutions such as the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Center for Effective Dispute Resolution of UK participated in this event. Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC, presided over the opening ceremony.

(At the Forum)

Vice Chairman Zhang Shaogang pointed out in his speech that faced with the intensifying strategic competition among major powers and increasing international economic and trade frictions, CCPIT has always taken it as its own mission to serve the business community. CCPIT has actively promoted the rule of law at home and in matters involving foreign parties, and has made positive contributions in enhancing the interests of both domestic and foreign enterprises, boosting international economic and trade exchanges, and promoting the development of national relations. He proposed three suggestions: firstly, promoting rule-based cooperation to provide an international and professional rule system for the integration of business and the rule of law; secondly, deepening institutional cooperation to provide diverse and innovative public products for the integration of business and the rule of law; thirdly, jointly building a cooperation platform to provide a high-level and shared exchange platform for the integrated of business and the rule of law. He expressed his hope for greater cohesion, mutual trust and deepening exchanges among the business and legal communities of all countries, so as to enable diversified dispute resolution mechanisms to play a greater role in global governance.

(Vice Chairman Zhang Shaogang delivered a speech in the opening ceremony)

Lucy Reed highlighted the vital role of international arbitration in efficiently resolving cross-border disputes in her video address. Highlighting the predictability, efficiency and compatibility of the rules of dispute resolution, she introduced the work of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration in the field of dispute resolution, such as the collection and publication of international arbitral awards and awards enforced under the New York Convention, and efforts to promote the resolution of international commercial disputes through diversified dispute resolution mechanisms including litigation, arbitration and mediation.

(Ms. Lucy Reed delivered a speech in the opening ceremony)

Deputy Director Zheng Zhenyu emphasized in his speech that the Ministry of Justice diligently studied and implemented the spirit of the 20th National Congress and Xi Jinping’s thoughts on the rule of law. The ministry is actively dedicated to enhancing legal services to safeguard global business cooperation, insisting on coordinated advancement of both domestic and foreign-related rule of law, expanding foreign-related legal services, fostering world-class institutions for international legal services, cultivating highly skilled professionals for foreign-related legal services, steadily promoting the opening-up of legal services to the outside world, and continuously deepening international collaborations and exchanges in the realm of legal practice. This approach aims to encourage the global business community to use legal means to prevent and resolve disputes, ultimately contributing to the high-quality development of the global economy.

(Deputy Director Zheng Zhenyu delivered a speech in the opening ceremony )

(Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC, presided over the opening ceremony)

The keynote speech session was moderated by Cai Chenfeng, Chairman of the CLSC. Three distinguished speakers shared their insights on better harnessing the rule of law to promote business cooperation, continuously improving judicial supervision and support for arbitration, promoting fair and efficient resolution of international commercial disputes, and utilizing mediation and other dispute resolution methods to facilitate international economic and trade cooperation and development.

(From left to right: Cai Chenfeng, Chairman of the CLSC; Yang Liangyi, independent commercial arbitrator and member of the Expert Committee of the China International Commercial Court; Zhang Mei, Senior Judge of the Fourth Civil Division of the Supreme People's Court; SIU Wing-yee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Joint Mediation Helpline Office)

The roundtable discussion session was hosted by Tan Jian, Secretary-General of the CAAL. Gu Yan, Vice President of CIETAC Arbitration Court, Li Zhiyong, General Legal Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of CSCEC International, Lu Xinhua, Full-time Director of China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd., Jin Hao, General Legal Counsel of IBM Greater China, Li Hu, Vice Chairman of CMAC, Danny McFadden, Director of CEDR Asia Pacific Region, along with other business and legal professionals from Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, and dispute resolution institutions attended the forum. Participants discussed from different perspectives on topics such as "Harmony and Coexistence: A Development Path of Consultation, Contribution and Shared Benefits for the International Rules" and "Safeguarding the Journey: Legal Compliance and Rule of Law to Serve the Development of Industry and Commerce". All parties expressed that the rule of law plays a significant role in promoting the construction of market-oriented, law-based, and international business environment. The business and legal communities should further strengthen cooperation to contribute to the development of an open world economy.

（Roundtable discussion）

Representatives from relevant ministries, domestic and foreign legal service institutions, business associations, enterprises, law firms, universities, and CCPIT branches nationwide, totaling around 200 participants, attended the forum in person. The forum achieved fruitful results and a complete success.