From December 6 to 8, 2024, the 17th China Arbitration and Judicial Forum and the 4th Forum on the Development of Arbitration Institutions in Medium-Sized Cities (Annual Conference of the China Academy of Arbitration Law Society 2024) (referred to as the "Annual Conference") was successfully held in Sanmenxia. The event was hosted by the China Academy of Arbitration Law, organized by the Committee for the Development of Arbitration Institutions in Medium-Sized Cities of the China Academy of Arbitration Law , and co-organized by the Sanmenxia Arbitration Commission. The forum was supported by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), the China Maritime Arbitration Commission, and the Arbitration Center Across the Straits. The theme of this year’s Conference was "Improving the International Commercial Arbitration System and Enhancing Arbitration Credibility." Vice President of CIETAC, Gu Yan, along with his delegation, attended the conference.

The Annual Conference consisted of five segments: the opening ceremony, keynote speeches, an award ceremony for outstanding papers and presentations by the authors, forum discussions, and the closing ceremony. Vice President of CIETAC and Secretary-General of the China Academy of Arbitration Law, Gu Yan, chaired the opening ceremony. Yu Jianlong, member of the Party Group and Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and President of the China Academy of Arbitration Law; Zhang Mingqi, member of the Party Group, Vice President, and Secretary-General of the China Law Society; and Zhao Jianling, Deputy Secretary of the Sanmenxia Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, all attended the forum and delivered speeches.

(Yu Jianlong, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and President of the China Academy of Arbitration Law, delivered the opening speech)

Yu Jianlong pointed out that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee had made new arrangements to deepen arbitration system reform, improve the international commercial arbitration and mediation systems, and cultivate world-class arbitration institutions. Looking to the future, China’s arbitration should focus on enhancing its credibility, deepening international legal exchanges and cooperation, optimizing and strengthening international commercial arbitration services, and accelerating the digital transformation of international commercial arbitration. These efforts aim to contribute significantly to the high-quality development of international arbitration.

(Zhang Mingqi, member of the Party Group, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Law Society, delivered the opening speech)

In his speech, Zhang Mingqi suggested that it is crucial to deeply study and implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, ensuring the arbitration law research always adheres to the correct political direction. He emphasized the importance of actively participating in the revision of arbitration laws, supporting high-quality development and high-level openness, as well as building a high-caliber talent pool to help cultivate world-class arbitration institutions.

(Zhao Jianling, Deputy Secretary of the Sanmenxia Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, delivered the opening speech)

In her speech, Zhao Jianling mentioned that arbitration as an important means of resolving civil and commercial disputes, plays an increasingly prominent role in helping Sanmenxia City resolve social conflicts and disputes, optimize the business environment, and maintain social harmony and stability. He emphasized that arbitration professionals should earnestly implement the country's new positioning of arbitration work set by the state, to deeply understand the importance and necessity, and to further strengthen their sense of responsibility and mission.

(Gu Yan, Vice President of CIETAC and Secretary-General of the China Academy of Arbitration Law, chaired the opening ceremony)

Vice President Gu Yan warmly welcomed all attends and expressed his hope that the exchanges and discussions during the forum would inspire more innovative thinking and build greater consensus to contribute to the development of a more fair, efficient, and convenient international commercial dispute resolution mechanism.

Following the opening ceremony, the Annual Conference featured keynote speeches, an award ceremony for outstanding papers and presentations by the authors, forum discussions, and the closing ceremony. Jiao Yani, Director of the CIETAC Arbitration Institute and Deputy Secretary-General of the China Academy of Arbitration Law, chaired the award ceremony and the presentations by author for outstanding papers.

During the forum discussions, nearly 40 renowned experts, scholars, and professionals in the field of arbitration engaged in lively debates on five key, innovative, and specialized topics. The discussion focused on: "Building International Commercial Arbitration Centers," "Reform of Arbitration Institution and the Enhancement of Credibility," "Opportunities and Challenges of New Technologies and New Industries," "New Developments in Judicial Review of Arbitration," and "How to Improve the Quality and Efficiency of Arbitration Procedure Management."

(Zhang Ye, Director of the CIETAC Case Management Department and Executive Director of the China Academy of Arbitration Law, spoke)

During the fifth topic, "How to Improve the Quality and Efficiency of Arbitration Procedure Management," Zhang Ye, Director of Case Management Department of CIETAC and Executive Council Member of the China Arbitration Law Society, shared CIETAC’s experiences and practices in enhancing the quality and efficiency of arbitration case handling.

The Annual Conference saw enthusiastic participation, with over 300 attendees from universities, law firms, enterprises, and arbitration institutions across the country, including representatives from nearly 90 arbitration institutions joining offline.