On May 20, 2026, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) convened in Beijing a working conference on the development of its arbitration team. Coinciding with the official implementation of the newly revised Arbitration Law and the beginning of the next term of panel of arbitrators by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), the meeting, themed “Comprehensively Strengthening the Development of the Arbitration Team and Comprehensively Enhancing the Credibility of Arbitration,” thoroughly studied and implemented Xi Jinping’s Thought on the Rule of Law and the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and its subsequent plenary sessions. It summarized achievements in arbitration work, analyzed the new circumstances and tasks faced by arbitration in the context of the new era, and made comprehensive arrangements for further strengthening the development of the arbitration team, enhancing the credibility of arbitration, and promoting the high-quality development of the arbitration cause. Ren Hongbin, President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Chairman of CIETAC, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. CCPIT Vice Presidents Li Xingqian and Liu Jiannan also attended the meeting. Nie Wenhui, CCPIT Vice President and Vice-Chairman of CIETAC, presided over the meeting.

(The conference)

In his speech, President Ren Hongbin stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and speeches on foreign-related rule of law and arbitration work have charted the course and provided essential guidance for advancing the arbitration cause. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, CIETAC’s arbitration work has achieved remarkable results, providing robust rule-of-law safeguards for high-quality development and high-level opening-up. He emphasized that building a highly competent arbitration team is the fundamental guarantee for establishing a world-class arbitration institution. It is essential to thoroughly grasp the new circumstances and requirements of current arbitration work, and to strengthen management and supervision rigorously and pragmatically across four areas—the institution, the arbitrators, the secretariat, and the scrutinizers—to comprehensively enhance the development of the arbitration team. Moving forward, he pointed out that, fairness and impartiality must be upheld to further improve the quality and efficiency of case handling; reform and expansion must be persisted to enhance institutional development; rule innovation must be committed in long term to strengthen professional leadership; digital and intelligent technologies must be leveraged to elevate service quality; and openness and cooperation must be maintained to expand international influence.

(Remarks by President Ren Hongbin)

(The meeting was chaired by Vice President Nie Wenhui)

Responsible persons from relevant dispute resolution institutions under the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) delivered their statements. Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC, stated in his speech that market entities are currently placing higher demands and expectations on arbitration institutions regarding professional competence, service efficiency, and the quality of awards. CIETAC is currently at a critical juncture where “standing still means falling behind, and even slow progress amounts to regression.” Taking the appointment of the new term of arbitrators as a starting point, CIETAC will earnestly implement the newly revised Arbitration Law, optimize service processes, improve institutional mechanisms, and further enhance the quality and efficiency of case handling. It will optimize talent development mechanisms for the arbitration team, strengthen supervision and management of the arbitration workforce, continuously improve work conduct, and consistently enhance the credibility of arbitration. It will accelerate its work on digital and intelligent empowerment, comprehensively advance fully online and paperless case handling, promote the deep integration of “artificial intelligence plus arbitration,” and drive the high-quality development of arbitration work. Through a series of pragmatic measures, CIETAC will strive to establish itself as a benchmark for world-class arbitration institutions and make new contributions to building China into a preferred destination for international commercial arbitration.

(Speech by Secretary-General Wang Chengjie)

Representatives of arbitrators and arbitration secretaries delivered speeches. Professor Du Xinli, as a representative of CIETAC arbitrators and Honorary Dean of the Arbitration Research Institute at China University of Political Science and Law, stated in her address that public trust is the cornerstone of the arbitration system. CIETAC has been consecutively recognized as one of the top ten arbitration institutions nationwide based on multiple core indicators, including the comprehensiveness of its rules, the quality and efficiency of case handling, the standardization of procedures, the credibility of awards, its capacity for handling foreign-related cases, and public satisfaction. It has demonstrated particularly prominent strengths and a leading reputation in the field of international commercial arbitration.  CIETAC arbitrators must cherish this honor. Professionalism is the foundation of CIETAC arbitrators’ standing, impartiality is the soul of CIETAC arbitrators’ duties, and diligence is CIETAC arbitrators’ fundamental code of conduct. CIETAC arbitrators must jointly protect CIETAC’s golden brand for credibility and work together to promote the high-quality development of China’s arbitration industry.

Chen Mi and Wang Zhaonan, representatives of the CIETAC Secretariat, shared their insights based on their frontline work experience. They emphasized that, as facilitators, managers, and supervisors of the arbitration process, arbitration secretaries must firmly establish a sense of responsibility, adherence to rules, and commitment to service. They must strictly enforce institutional regulations, proactively fulfill their supervisory duties, and ensure the efficient and fair conduct of the arbitration process through a rigorous and meticulous work ethic.

(Arbitrators and a representative of the arbitration secretariat delivered speech. From top to bottom and left to right: Professor Du Xinli, arbitration secretariat representative Chen Mi, and Wang Zhaonan)

The meeting called on all arbitrators and staff of arbitration institutions to thoroughly study and grasp the spirit of the meeting, rigorously implement its directives, faithfully fulfill their duties, and demonstrate a new spirit and achieve new accomplishments on this new journey.

The meeting was attended by more than 210 people, including heads of relevant departments and dispute resolution bodies of the CCPIT, all staff members of the CIETAC in Beijing, principal officials of its branches, and representatives of arbitrators.