From April 8 to 12, 2026, the 18th edition of the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court — CIETAC Chinese (Mainland) National Rounds was successfully held in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. The event was hosted by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”) and organized by the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center, the CIETAC South China Sub-Commission, and Sun Yat-sen University School of Law. After four days of intense competition across 69 oral hearings, the Peking University team emerged as the champion, the University of International Business and Economics team won the runner-up title, and the Fudan University team and the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law team were awarded second runners-up. The top three teams in the General Rounds, namely the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law team, the Fudan University team, and the University of International Business and Economics team, qualified for the International Rounds to be held in Frankfurt, Germany. This year’s competition attracted 39 teams and more than 300 students. Nearly 100 experts from multiple jurisdictions, including the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, Costa Rica, Germany, Albania, and the Philippines, served as arbitrators/judges. The event also received strong support from more than 20 international arbitral institutions and leading law firms. The scale and international influence of the competition continued to grow, with the number of participating teams, arbitrators, and the level of internationalization all reaching record highs.

On the evening of April 12, the CIETAC International Investment Arbitration Seminar and the award ceremony of the Moot were held at Sun Yat-sen University. Gu Yan, Vice President of the CIETAC Arbitration Court; Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government; Athita Komindr, Head of the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific; and Professor Zhang Liang, Dean of Sun Yat-sen University School of Law, delivered remarks. James Ding, Law Officer (International Law) of the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR and Chair of the APEC Economic Committee, and Wang Xuehua, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Beijing Huanzhong & Partners, delivered keynote speeches. The seminar attracted nearly 200 participants on site and more than 80,000 views via online livestream from China and abroad.

（Remarks by Gu Yan, Vice President of the CIETAC Arbitration Court）

In his remarks, Vice President Gu Yan gave a systematic review of the development of the CIETAC investment arbitration moot. He noted that since CIETAC first introduced the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court to the Chinese mainland in 2019, and since it was recognized and authorized by the FIAMC Organizing Committee in 2021 as the sole pathway for Chinese mainland university teams to advance to the international rounds of the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court, the competition has become a highly anticipated annual event for young law students in China and a leading moot court competition in the field of international investment law. Vice President Gu emphasized that CIETAC has always attached great importance to the cultivation of China’s foreign-related legal talents. Through measures such as establishing collaborative training and innovation bases with universities and signing memoranda of cooperation, CIETAC has continued to strengthen China’s pool of foreign-related legal professionals and promote new progress in talent development in this field. Looking ahead, CIETAC will continue to serve the overall national strategy for foreign-related rule of law, take high-level competitions as a platform, and adopt a practice-oriented approach to reserve high-caliber future talents for China’s investment arbitration sector, actively promote the development of China’s foreign-related rule of law, and contribute to the building of China as an international arbitration center.

（Video remarks by Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government）

In his video remarks, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok commended CIETAC for its long-standing efforts in promoting the development of the competition and cultivating arbitration talents. He introduced that Hong Kong, as one of the leading seats of arbitration in the Asia-Pacific region, is working on amendments to the Hong Kong Arbitration Ordinance, with a view to continuously consolidating its status as an international legal and dispute resolution services center. He also highly recognized the important role played by the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center in the implementation of the interim measures arrangement between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, as well as in the development of the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Panel of Arbitrators.” Finally, Secretary for Justice Lam encouraged young legal talents to build a solid professional foundation, seize opportunities, and actively engage in the field of international dispute resolution.

（Video remarks by Athita Komindr, Head of the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific）

In her video remarks, Athita Komindr, Head of the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, congratulated the organizers on the successful holding of the competition and fully recognized its important role in cultivating talent in international investment arbitration. She specifically mentioned the incorporation of the UNCITRAL Rules on Transparency into this year’s moot problem, noting that the Rules help enhance transparency in investor-State dispute settlement mechanisms and strike a balance between protecting the public interest and maintaining the fairness and efficiency of arbitral proceedings.

（Remarks by Zhang Liang, Dean of Sun Yat-sen University School of Law）

Professor Zhang Liang, Dean of Sun Yat-sen University School of Law, introduced the development of Sun Yat-sen University and highlighted the law school’s talent cultivation model of promoting teaching and learning through competitions. Under this model, Sun Yat-sen University School of Law has achieved outstanding results in the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court series on multiple occasions. Looking ahead, the law school will continue to deepen cooperation with CIETAC, strengthen collaboration in talent cultivation and academic exchanges, and jointly promote the development of China’s foreign-related legal talent and arbitration practice.

（Keynote speech by James Ding, Law Officer (International Law) of the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR and Chair of the APEC Economic Committee）

During the keynote speech session, James Ding, Law Officer (International Law) of the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR and Chair of the APEC Economic Committee, spoke from the perspective of investor-State dispute settlement (“ISDS”). Taking Hong Kong’s practice as an example, he introduced how Hong Kong, under the “one country, two systems” framework, has advanced the development of its investment agreement network, participated in international investment arbitration practice, and played an active role in the formulation and development of relevant rules. On that basis, Ding further analyzed the challenges faced by ISDS in terms of cost, efficiency, and legitimacy, noting that the international community is continuing to advance reform and improvement through multilateral mechanisms. With respect to the direction of reform, he emphasized that while improving the ISDS mechanism, the international community should also actively develop diversified dispute resolution pathways, especially mediation. He highlighted Hong Kong’s efforts to build itself into a “capital of mediation”, including its active support for and promotion of the establishment of the headquarters of the International Organization for Mediation in Hong Kong, as well as its work in cultivating high-quality foreign-related legal talent and mediation professionals for China through the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. Finally, Ding encouraged young legal professionals to continuously enhance their professional competence and international vision, and to play a greater role in participating in the development of international rules and rule-of-law practice.

（Keynote speech by Wang Xuehua, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Beijing Huanzhong & Partners）

Wang Xuehua, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Beijing Huanzhong & Partners, delivered a keynote speech titled “Investment Arbitration: A Key Mechanism for Protecting the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Chinese Enterprises in Overseas Investment”. From multiple perspectives, including current developments, practical cases, and future trends, Wang provided an in-depth analysis of Chinese enterprises’ participation in international investment arbitration. Wang focused on the representative case of Zhongshan Fucheng v. Nigeria and analyzed the application of the “fork-in-the-road clause” in relation to the legal disputes involved in the case. He concluded that in a complex and changing international environment, Chinese enterprises should further strengthen their understanding of the international investment law system, improve their ability to identify and respond to risks, and enhance their awareness of using international dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration to safeguard their rights and interests. He also emphasized that the cultivation of foreign-related legal talents and the improvement of legal service capabilities will be key safeguards for supporting enterprises in high-quality “going global” efforts, and fully recognized CIETAC’s active contribution to cultivating foreign-related legal talents and future professionals in the field of international investment arbitration.

（From left to right: Jin Xi, Deputy Secretary-General of the CIETAC South China Sub-Commission; Liang Danni, CIETAC arbitrator and Associate Professor at Sun Yat-sen University School of Law; Liu Xin, Partner at Freshfields; Zhang Xin, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Global Law Office; Han Zheng, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Shanghai Jin Mao Law Firm; and Li Lianjun, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP）

The panel discussion focused on “Innovation in Arbitration Systems and Investment Protection: Developments and Challenges” and was moderated and commented on by Jin Xi, Deputy Secretary-General of the CIETAC South China Sub-Commission. Liang Danni, CIETAC arbitrator and Associate Professor at Sun Yat-sen University School of Law, spoke on “Damages in International Investment Arbitration.” Liu Xin, Partner at Freshfields, delivered a presentation titled “Investment Arbitration against U.S. Tariffs: A Viable Option or a Dead End?” Zhang Xin, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Global Law Office, shared observations and insights on “The ‘User Experience’ of Investment Arbitration: Reflections on the Hela Case.” Han Zheng, Partner at Shanghai Jin Mao Law Firm, spoke on “Sanctions, State Immunity, and Investment Protection amid Geopolitical Conflicts.” Li Lianjun, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP, delivered a presentation titled “When Investment Meets Geopolitics: Investment Protection Mechanisms and Insights from International Maritime Investment Disputes.” With forward-looking and highly professional presentations, the speakers offered accessible yet in-depth analyses of the development trends and practical challenges of international investment arbitration amid a complex international economic, trade, and geopolitical environment. The discussion was rich in content and cutting-edge in perspective, receiving enthusiastic responses from both online and on-site audiences.

Following the panel discussion, the award ceremony of the competition was held. The seminar and award ceremony were moderated by Ou Jintao, Counsel of the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center, and Hao Mingyang, Case Manager of the CIETAC Sichuan Sub-Commission.

 （From top to bottom and left to right: Gu Yan, Vice President of the CIETAC Arbitration Court, presented awards to the champion and runner-up teams; James Ding, Law Officer (International Law) of the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR and Chair of the APEC Economic Committee, presented the award for Best Oralist in the final round; Xing Yuan, Partner at Beijing Huanzhong & Partners, presented awards to the  second runner-up teams; Zhang Xin, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Global Law Office, and Li Lianjun, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP, jointly presented the awards for Best Advocate in the semi-final round; Liu Xin, Partner at Freshfields, and Han Zheng, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Shanghai Jin Mao Law Firm, jointly presented awards to the teams winning First Prize; Zhang Liang, Dean of Sun Yat-sen University School of Law, presented awards to the teams winning Second Prize; and Jin Xi, Deputy Secretary-General of the CIETAC South China Sub-Commission, presented awards to the teams winning Third Prize）

（Semi-final tribunals and participating teams. From top to bottom and left to right: Li Lianjun, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP; Liu Xin, Partner at Freshfields; and Xing Yuan, Partner at Beijing Huanzhong & Partners, together with the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law team and the Peking University team; Fang Ye, Partner at Jingtian & Gongcheng; Zhang Xin, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Global Law Office; and Han Zheng, CIETAC arbitrator and Partner at Shanghai Jin Mao Law Firm, together with the Fudan University team and the University of International Business and Economics team）

To provide participating teams with more opportunities to exchange and learn from renowned experts in international investment law and international arbitration, the final round featured a distinguished tribunal composed of James Ding, Law Officer (International Law) of the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR and Chair of the APEC Economic Committee; Robert Volterra, Partner at Volterra Fietta; and Friedrich Wächter, Associate at Aurelius Cotta. The final tribunal provided expert guidance to the teams competing for the championship and runner-up titles, as well as to lawyers, university faculty, and students attending online and offline who aspire to engage in foreign-related legal services.

【Wang Jiamin, Assistant Counsel of the CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center and tribunal secretary for the final round, the finalist teams, and the final tribunal. The tribunal members shown in the picture on the right are, from top to bottom and left to right: Friedrich Wächter, Associate at Aurelius Cotta; Robert Volterra, Partner at Volterra Fietta; and James Ding, Law Officer (International Law) of the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR and Chair of the APEC Economic Committee】

Competition Highlights