On December 8, the 2022 Belt and Road High-Level Dialogue on International Commercial Arbitration (the 5th), co-organized by the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), ICC China, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), China Maritime Arbitration Commission, and the ICC International Court of Arbitration, was held online.

Yu Jianlong, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Executive Vice Chairman of the CCOIC, Claudia Salomon, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Shen Sibao, Chairman of the ICC China and President of the China International Economic and Trade Law Society of China Law Society, attended the conference and delivered speeches. Zhang Shuming, Deputy Chief Judge of the Civil Adjudication Tribunal No.4 of the Supreme People’s Court and Senior Judge First Rank, Xie Changqing, Vice President of the Arbitration Court of CIETAC, and Chen Bo, Deputy General Secretary of CMAC and Vice President of the Arbitration Court of CMAC, all delivered keynote speeches. Sun Xiao, Secretary General of the CCOIC presided over the opening speech. Huang Zhijin, Director of ICC Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (North Asia) and the Chief Representative of ICC Shanghai Representative Office, delivered a closing speech.

Vice Chairman Yu Jianlong said in his speech that the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that it is necessary to further promote high-level opening up, create a market-oriented, rule-of-law, and international first-class business environment, and promote the high-quality development of the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. Strengthening cooperation between domestic and foreign arbitration institutions and providing high-quality commercial arbitration services are essential for promoting high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. He suggested that it is necessary to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in international arbitration, promote the intelligentization and green transformation of arbitration, accelerate the construction of arbitration institutions and personnel training, and promote the development of international arbitration.

Vice President Xie Changqing delivered a keynote speech focusing on “Giving Full Play to CIETAC’s Advantages and Promoting the High-quality Development of  the Belt and Road Dispute Resolution”. She said that the new pattern, new order and new market participants of the “Belt and Road” international economic, trade and investment have brought new requirements and challenges to the development of international arbitration. On the one hand, the international arbitration community needs to constantly adjust and innovate systems, rules and operations to adapt to the needs of cross-border multi-market entities under the “Belt and Road” Initiative; on the other hand, emerging market entities represented by Chinese enterprises also need to accelerate their understanding and familiarity with international arbitration, accelerate the improvement of international arbitration risk management and response capabilities, protect the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and realize the original intention and goal of the “Belt and Road” to go global. As the earliest foreign-related arbitration institution established in China, CIETAC has always based its work on national conditions, connected with the world, constantly improveding innovation, been inclusive, and integrated development, and thus formed the distinctive characteristics and advantages of the “Belt and Road” dispute resolution. CIETAC has also been actively participating in the research of the “Belt and Road” legal issues of arbitration, the dissemination of advanced arbitration concepts, the training of reserve talents for foreign-related arbitration, and the promotion of international cooperation in arbitration. In the future, with the support of all walks of life, CIETAC will continue to innovate and develop, and strive to play a more important role in resolving the “Belt and Road” disputes in a high-quality manner, and jointly promote the steady, long-term and healthy development of the “Belt and Road” construction.

The purpose of this high-level dialogue is to promote the high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road” to go deeper and more solid, help enterprises effectively use arbitration to resolve transnational commercial disputes, and to prevent and resolve legal risks. A total of about 15,000 domestic and foreign viewers watched the live broadcast of the conference online. 25 Chinese and foreign experts conducted in-depth discussions on hot topics such as risk prevention in the “Belt and Road” international trade, transparency in international arbitration, and corruption in international arbitration. Su Sa, Deputy Director of the Arbitration Institute of CIETAC, discussed the data of cases accepted by CIETAC involving “Belt and Road” countries, issues worthy of attention in the procedures, and substantive issues worthy of attention in the topic of “Risk Prevention in the ‘Belt and Road’ International Trade”. 

In recent years, the number of CIETAC cases involving the “Belt and Road” countries and regions has continued to increase. Taking the data of 2021 as an example, CIETAC accepted 4,071 cases, including 636 cases involving foreign countries and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions of China. The amount in dispute reached RMB57.35222 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 51.78%. Among them, the 136 cases involving the “Belt and Road” (covering 36 “Belt and Road” countries and regions) involved a disputed amount of 2.94 billion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 29.93%. In order to further adapt to the dispute resolution needs of more “Belt and Road” cases, CIETAC completed the in-session adjustment of arbitrators this year. After the adjustment, there are 1,897 arbitrators in the Panel of Arbitrators of CIETAC, including 1,306 arbitrators from mainland China, and 591 arbitrators from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan regions of China and foreign countries,  covering 144 countries and regions around the world, including 112 countries and regions that have signed the “Belt and Road” cooperation documents, realizing the global layout of the arbitrator team.