The 22nd CIETAC Cup International Commercial Arbitration Moot (the “CIETAC Cup”) organized by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (the “CIETAC”) was successfully held from 29 November to 6 December, 2024. After 217 intense rounds of competition, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University team emerged as the champion, while the Tsinghua University team secured the runner-up position, both earning prestigious honors.

（Venue of the Final）

To enhance engagement in the competition, the 22nd CIETAC Cup was held in a combination of online and offline formats. The competition attracted a total of 101 teams from countries and regions including the United Kingdom, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Russia, Hong Kong, Macau, and various provinces and cities across the Chinese mainland. Over 1,000 young students competed together, marking a historic milestone as the number of participating teams surpassed 100 for the first time in the event’s history. The geographical diversity of participating teams has widened, with the number of competition rounds reaching a new record and the event's professionalism continuing to climb, thereby further enhancing its influence. This year’s competition has invited over 250 legal professionals, experts, scholars, and representatives from arbitration institutions across 35 countries and regions to serve as judges. The event received strong support from many internationally renowned arbitration institutions and law firms.

（Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CIETAC, addressing the Award Ceremony）

On the evening of 6 December, the CIETAC Cup Award Ceremony was held in grand fashion. Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CIETAC, delivered a speech on behalf of the organizers. He emphasized that in order to better support China’s foreign-related rule of law construction, contribute to the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, and promote global exchanges and cooperation, it is crucial to strengthen the training of high-level foreign-related legal talent. As China’s first foreign-related arbitration institution, CIETAC has always placed great importance on talent cultivation. Since its inception, the CIETAC Cup has continuously deepened its efforts in the competition by sponsoring winning teams to participate in international events abroad, establishing the CIETAC Cup Alumni Association (CCAA) , hosting the Voice of the CIETAC CUP series of training activities , introducing a hybrid competition model combining online and offline formats, and attracting overseas teams to participate. These initiatives have continually enhanced the competition’s professionalism and international influence. Looking ahead, CIETAC will continue to increase its investment in the CIETAC Cup, focusing on advancing the development of foreign-related legal talent in China and contributing to the country’s foreign-related rule of law construction.

（Secretary General Wang Chengjie Presenting Awards to the Champion Team with the Final Arbitration Panel）

To encourage active participation, the CIETAC Cup this year set up various team awards, awards for Best Written Submission to strengthen writing skills, as well as individual honors such as the Best Oral Advocate award. Representatives from 18 sponsoring law firms and supporting institutions presented these awards to the participating teams. Zhang Xiaofeng, Partner and Beijing Office Executive Director of V&T Law Firm and Sherlin Tung, CEO of Vis East Moot Foundation Ltd. , delivered speeches on behalf of the sponsors and judges during the Award Ceremony. They both stated that the CIETAC Cup, as China’s most influential moot arbitration competition, has cultivated many arbitration legal talents over the past 20 years. Through participating in the CIETAC Cup, young students have enhanced their professional skills and practical abilities, laying a solid foundation for their future career development. They also expressed hope that the CIETAC Cup would continue to play a key role in advancing China’s legal education reform and in cultivating more high-quality legal professionals. In their acceptance speeches, the award-winning teams expressed their gratitude to the CIETAC Cup for providing a platform that allowed young legal professionals to showcase their talents. They noted that by integrating theoretical knowledge with practice in the moot court, they had laid a solid foundation for better participating in foreign-related rule of law construction. The competition’s online live broadcast attracted over 770,000 views, with the Final and Award Ceremony alone drawing more than 370,000 viewers.

(Photos at the Competition Venue)

As international exchanges continue to deepen, China’s involvement in international trade, economic matters, and global affairs has grown significantly. Therefore, fostering a workforce skilled in foreign languages and familiar with international rules and practices is crucial for advancing the country’s foreign-related legal system. CIETAC has made notable strides in this area through the organization of the CIETAC Cup competition. By introducing international case studies and simulating real-world international arbitration scenarios, the competition enhances the legal practice skills and arbitration expertise of law students. This initiative aligns with the national strategy to cultivate legal professionals proficient in foreign-related law, making a positive contribution to the development of foreign-related rule of law. Since its inception in 2000, the CIETAC Cup has attracted over 20,000 students from more than 200 universities worldwide. The competition has also encouraged tens of thousands of young people each year to engage with and learn about international commercial arbitration, thereby contributing to the growth of the arbitration cause. As China’s first and foremost institution for foreign-related arbitration, CIETAC is committed to continuously refining its approach, actively exploring innovative training models, and improving the CIETAC Cup competition. By building the “Friends of the CIETAC CUP” platform and enhancing the “Voice of the CIETAC CUP” pre-competition training program, CIETAC aims to develop high-caliber, multi-disciplinary talents with expertise in international law and foreign-related legal practice. These young legal professionals will not only excel in academic theory but also be well-equipped to integrate with international legal practices, ensuring that China’s voice is heard on the global stage. Through these efforts, CIETAC aims to make a meaningful contribution to the advancement of China’s foreign-related rule of law.