On January 5, 2026, Teresa Cheng, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation ("IOMed"), and Sun Jin, Deputy Secretary-General of IOMed, visited the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission ("CIETAC"). Wang Chengjie, Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC, hosted the delegation. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on deepening exchanges and cooperation in international dispute resolution and promoting the innovative development of diversified dispute resolution mechanisms.

As the first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, IOMed provides neutral, professional mediation services for inter-state disputes, state-foreign investor disputes, and international commercial disputes, with the goal of achieving win-win outcomes for all parties. Its establishment fills a critical institutional void in international mediation and contributes to building a peaceful, stable, and equitable global order.

The inauguration ceremony was held in Hong Kong, China, on October 20, 2025. Secretary-General Wang Chengjie attended the event and engaged in wide exchanges with IOMed’s leadership, representatives from international dispute resolution institutions, and legal experts.

During the meeting, Secretary-General Wang Chengjie extended a warm welcome to the IOMed delegation. He stated that as China’s earliest established foreign-related arbitration institution, CIETAC has long been committed to facilitating international economic and trade exchanges and contributing to the global governance system through professional, impartial, and efficient dispute resolution mechanisms, which is highly aligned with IOMed’s mandate to resolve international disputes and promote mutual benefit and win-win outcomes through peaceful and cooperative means.

Since its establishment nearly seven decades ago, CIETAC has handled nearly 80,000 arbitration cases involving parties from  168 countries and regions worldwide, and has accumulated extensive expertise in international commercial dispute resolution. Its international credibility and influence have been widely recognized.

In the field of mediation, CIETAC pioneered the integration of arbitration and mediation-a practice hailed as the “Oriental Experience.” It has also established a specialized Mediation Center, formulated and issued mediation rules, and promoted the synergistic development of diversified dispute resolution methods, including arbitration and mediation.

Secretary-General Wang Chengjie pointed out that as the world’s first intergovernmental organization in the field of international mediation, IOMed plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the peaceful settlement of international disputes and improving the global governance system. CIETAC has maintained close interactions and cooperation with IOMed since the latter’s preparatory phase, and he expressed the expectation that this exchange would serve as an opportunity to further deepen communication and collaboration between the two sides, and to jointly promote the development of the international dispute resolution mechanism toward greater diversification, inclusiveness, and efficiency.

Teresa Cheng, Secretary-General of IOMed, briefed on the background of IOMed’s establishment, its organizational structure and operational status. She stated that IOMed adheres to the principle of party autonomy, gives full play to the institutional advantages of mediation such as flexibility, cost-effectiveness and convenience, and is committed to providing practical and efficient solutions to international disputes. CIETAC boasts extensive influence and rich practical experience in the field of international arbitration. The two sides share similar concepts and consistent goals in promoting the peaceful settlement of international disputes and improving the global governance system, and she expressed the hope that both sides would continue to strengthen interactions and cooperation in various fields in the future.

The two sides also conducted in-depth discussions on issues including the improvement of the international dispute resolution mechanism, the connection between mediation, arbitration and other dispute resolution methods, and the training of professional talents. They reached a consensus that against the backdrop of the complex and volatile current international situation, strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the field of international dispute resolution is of great practical significance. This exchange has further enhanced mutual understanding and laid a solid foundation for deeper and institutionalized cooperation in the field of diversified dispute resolution in the future.

Lu Fei, Director of the Career Development Department and Secretary General of the European Arbitration Center of CIETAC, Wei Ziping, Director of the Supervision and Coordination Department and Secretary General of the South China Sub-Commission of CIETAC, and Lu Yahan, Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Department, attended the meeting.