On 23 July 2026, a delegation led by Manish Kothari, Vice President of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (“FIDIC”),  visited the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”). XIE Changqing, Vice President of the Arbitration Court of CIETAC, received the delegation. The two sides engaged in in-depth exchanges on the global application of FIDIC contracts and the resolution of international construction disputes.

FIDIC is one of the world’s most influential international organizations in the consulting engineering industry. It is dedicated to developing and publishing a series of standard forms of contract for international engineering projects, which, by virtue of their international recognition, general applicability and authority, have been recommended for use by multilateral financial institutions and project owners worldwide, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the African Development Bank.

During the meeting, Vice President XIE Changqing warmly welcomed Vice President Manish Kothari and his delegation, and gave a detailed overview of CIETAC’s latest developments in construction dispute resolution, the development of its specialist panel of arbitrators and international cooperation. She noted that CIETAC has long been deeply engaged in the resolution of construction and cross-border infrastructure disputes, and has accumulated extensive practical experience, particularly in resolving disputes arising from Belt and Road construction projects. In formulating its Construction Project Disputes Review Rules, CIETAC drew extensively on FIDIC’s well-established international practices. By means of an efficient and accessible dispute review mechanism, CIETAC has successfully resolved a number of major construction project disputes, effectively safeguarding the orderly implementation of major infrastructure projects. Vice President XIE Changqing stated that FIDIC plays a pivotal role in advancing the standardization of international engineering contracts and developing innovative and diversified dispute resolution mechanisms. CIETAC and FIDIC have maintained high-quality exchanges over the years, and CIETAC looks forward to further consolidating the foundation of cooperation between the two organizations and deepening coordination in their respective areas of expertise, so as to jointly enhance the internationalization, efficiency and professionalism of cross-border construction dispute resolution and provide Chinese and foreign commercial entities participating in global infrastructure cooperation with higher-quality rule of law safeguards and services.

Vice President Manish Kothari expressed his appreciation for CIETAC’s warm reception and spoke highly of CIETAC’s professional strengths and notable achievements in resolving construction disputes and Belt and Road-related cross-border disputes. He provided a detailed introduction to FIDIC’s global industry presence and the latest developments in its international cooperation. He noted that FIDIC and CIETAC are highly complementary and well positioned to advance together in such areas as international construction dispute resolution, the improvement of industry rules and innovation in practical experience. He expressed the hope that the two organizations would further deepen practical cooperation and establish regular platforms for exchange in areas including the sharing of expert resources and the training of professionals, thereby contributing to the standardized, sound and high-quality development of the global engineering and construction industry.

The two sides also held in-depth discussions on the interface between the DAB/DAAB mechanisms under FIDIC contracts and dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration, the wider use of construction dispute review mechanisms, and cooperation between the two organizations. Both sides expressed the hope of strengthening future cooperation, jointly improving the diversified dispute resolution framework for international engineering projects, and providing more stable and predictable legal safeguards for global infrastructure connectivity.

Thanos Totsikas, General Manager of FIDIC Credentialing Limited (“FCL”) ; Liu Luobing, former Vice President of FIDIC; Dai Qingkang, FIDIC Certified Adjudicator; LU Fei, Director of the CIETAC Business Development Division and Secretary General of the CIETAC European Arbitration Center; and LU Yahan, Deputy Director of the CIETAC Intellectual Property Dispute Resolution Division, attended the meeting.