The Second International Commercial Arbitration Forum on the New Western Land-Sea Corridor Held in Chongqing, China As economic and trade exchanges between China and ASEAN grow, the demand for international commercial dispute resolution is increasing. On November 21, the Second International Commercial Arbitration Forum on the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, themed “Sharing Opportunities, Promoting Development, and Building a New Hub for International Commercial Arbitration Services”, was held in Chongqing, China. The forum attracted over 200 representatives from domestic and foreign arbitration institutions, judicial authorities, universities, law firms, and enterprises, focusing on topics such as cross-border arbitration cooperation, talent cultivation in foreign-related arbitration, and the alignment of international arbitration rules. A highlight of the forum was the signing of cooperation agreements between the Chongqing Arbitration Commission (Chongqing Court of International Commercial Arbitration) and five foreign arbitration institutions from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hungary, and Lebanon. The parties will collaborate on talent cultivation and training mechanisms, mutual recommendation of arbitrators, and exchanges in arbitration practices. For enterprises at home and abroad, this means they can opt for the Chongqing Arbitration Commission (Chongqing Court of International Commercial Arbitration) or its partner institutions to resolve disputes in the future, and will benefit from a smoother cross-border dispute resolution coordination mechanism and more professional support in international arbitration practices. During the forum, the Chongqing Arbitration Commission (Chongqing Court of International Commercial Arbitration) reached joint training agreements with eight universities and research institutions, including China University of Political Science and Law and Southwest University of Political Science and Law. These initiatives aim to cultivate interdisciplinary talents in foreign-related arbitration with a command of international arbitration rules and the ability to apply them, multilingual communication skills, and practical experience in cross-border arbitration. Additionally, a group of experts from the International Commercial Arbitration Expert Pool and international arbitrators have been appointed to expand the professional team and enhance talent supply, providing robust support for resolving cross-border commercial disputes. The forum released Chongqing’s Achievements in Construction of the International Commercial Arbitration Center. As introduced, the Chongqing Arbitration Commission (Chongqing Court of International Commercial Arbitration) has appointed 178 foreign-related arbitrators and introduced multilingual arbitration rules and a digital service system. According to the official data, the foreign-related arbitration awards of the Chongqing Arbitration Commission (Chongqing Court of International Commercial Arbitration) have been recognized and enforced in over 20 countries and regions, with the total value of foreign-related arbitration cases exceeding RMB 25 billion. An international commercial arbitration cooperation system targeting ASEAN and extending to the countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative has taken initial shape. The thematic discussion session of the forum garnered significant attention, and the attending experts engaged in in-depth exchanges on key issues such as the internationalization and prospects of Chinese arbitration, implementation of the newly revised Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China, development of the world-class arbitration institutions, and cross-border dispute resolution. By strengthening cross-border arbitration cooperation and enhancing foreign-related service capabilities, Chongqing is committed to providing enterprises with dispute resolution options featuring “easy access”, “smooth communication” and “efficient enforcement” amid ongoing regional economic and trade development. Relevant officials stated that efforts will continue to advance the construction of an international commercial arbitration cooperation and service system targeting Southeast Asia and extending to the countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, thus offering more specialized and internationalized dispute resolution support for cross-border economic and trade activities. With the advancement of relevant cooperation mechanisms as well as talent and rule development, the Chongqing Arbitration Commission (Chongqing Court of International Commercial Arbitration) will provide Chinese and ASEAN enterprises with more diverse options and robust service guarantees for resolving cross-border disputes.
