On May 30, 2023, China-Latin America International Arbitration Forum (“the Forum”) was successfully held in Beijing. The Forum was organized by China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and supported by 10 arbitration institutions and international organizations from Latin America and Spain. Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CIETAC and José María Alonso, Chairperson of the Madrid International Arbitration Center (CIAM), attended the opening ceremony and gave the opening remarks. María Agnes Salah, Vice President of the CAM Santiago Board of Directors, gave the opening remarks online. Zhang Shuming, Deputy Chief Judge of the Fourth Civil Division of the Supreme People’s Court of China (SPC), attended the opening ceremony and delivered the keynote speech. Diplomats of the Embassy of the Republic of Chile (Chile), the Embassy of the Republic of Peru (Peru) and the Embassy of the Republic of Argentina (Argentina) attended the opening ceremony and the following sessions. Gu Yan, Vice President of CIETAC Arbitration Court, was the moderator of the opening ceremony.

In his opening remark, Secretary General Wang Chengjie noted that in recent years, the cooperation between China and Latin America has been more consolidated. So far, 21 Latin American countries have signed the “Belt and Road” cooperation documents with China. Despite that the world economic environment is complicated and volatile, the trade and investment volume between China and Latin America has been growing steadily, becoming a global highlight. In this context, cross-border commercial disputes gradually arose. As an internationally accepted dispute resolution mechanism, arbitration plays an important role in resolving disputes and promoting international economic and trade cooperation. As the first foreign-related arbitration institution in China, with more than 60 years of experience in foreign-related commercial dispute resolution, CIETAC has maintained advanced arbitration rules, a panel of professional arbitrators and provided diversified dispute resolution services in handling China-Latin America commercial disputes. thus is able to meet the constantly changing needs of the parties to resolve disputes. In the future, CIETAC hopes to strengthen cooperation with more Latin American institutions, continue to stimulate the innovation of rules and practices, strengthen talent training and team building, and improve international communication, so as to make arbitration play its due role in promoting the economic and trade development, and ensuring the stability and prosperity of China and Latin America.

 

 

Chairperson José María Alonso pointed out in his remark that 2023 is the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Spain. In recent years, the two countries have carried out extensive and in-depth cooperation in the economic and trade. CIETAC and CIAM has maintained the friendship for a long term. The two sides hope to take the Forum as an opportunity to further explore effective cooperation and contribute to the development of dispute resolution in hispanic countries.

 

 

Vice President María Agnes Salah said that China and Chile have maintained a long friendly diplomatic relation. The two countries have signed the free trade agreement. China has become one of the most important trade partners of Chile. In the face of a range of commercial disputes brought about by frequent trade and economic exchanges, CIETAC and CAM Santiago shall work together to provide services with higher quality to meet the evolving demands for dispute resolution.

 

 

In his keynote speech, Deputy Chief Judge Zhang Shuming, the Fourth Civil Division of the SPC, gave a presentation on the practice of Chinese courts in supporting and supervising arbitration. He stated that in recent years, Chinese courts have continued to improve the system of judicial review on arbitration and promote the unification of the standards of judicial review; to hear cases concerning judicial review on arbitration in accordance with the law and clarify the rules of adjudication for new types of disputes; to support the innovation of the international trade and economic arbitration system and promote the popularization of arbitration and the internationalization of arbitration. In order to further enhance the international credibility of arbitration, he proposed to promote the development of arbitration from the perspective of national and global governance. Promote arbitration towards more professional development by relying on the construction of international commercial courts, actively facilitate the integration and development of commercial dispute resolution mechanisms, provide Chinese solutions and contribute Chinese wisdom to the continuous optimization of the business environment and the fair, efficient, convenient and economic resolution of international commercial disputes.

 

 

 

 

The signing ceremony of the cooperation agreements between CIETAC and Madrid International Arbitration Center/Chilean Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (CHICIT)was held on the Forum. Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CIETAC, José María Alonso, Chairperson of CIAM and Gustavo Cuevas, representative of CHICIT signed on behalf of the institution respectively. All sides reached the consensus to use the cooperation agreement as a blueprint to further promote in-depth cooperation in the field of dispute resolution in the future, thereby contributing to the development of the rule of law in China and Hispanic countries.

 

 

 

Arbitration Center of Mexico, Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Costa Rica Bar Association, Brazilian Center for Mediation and Arbitration, Center for Commercial Mediation and Arbitration of the Chamber of Commerce of Argentina (CEMARC), Centre of Arbitration and Conciliation of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Ciesp/Fiesp, Chilean Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, CIAM, National and International Arbitration Center of the Lima Chamber of Commerce, Santiago Arbitration and Mediation Centre supported the Forum as international partners, and look forward to strengthening the communication and cooperation with CIETAC in the future and jointly contributing to the building of a China-Latin America commercial dispute resolution community.

“Opportunities and Developments for China-Latin America Arbitration in the New Era” is the theme of the Forum. Over 10 Chinese and foreign experts gave presentations on “Communication: Dispute Resolution Systems in China and Latin America” and held a round-table discussion on “Cooperation: Arbitration and the Development of Trade and Economy in China and Latin America”, concentrating on the cutting-edge issues in the field of dispute resolution in China and Latin America, exploring the direction of future development of cross-border dispute resolution in China and Latin America, discussing and exchanging views on the relevant rule of law practices.

 

 

The presentation of Session I was moderated by Zhao Jian, Senior Counsel of Zhong Lun Law Firm and CIETAC Arbitrator. Speakers were invited to make comparison between dispute resolution systems in China and Latin American countries, and discuss the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards in China and Latin American countries, as well as the cooperation among arbitration institutions of China and Spanish-speaking countries in the context of the “Belt and Road” Initiative and other topics.

 

 

The discussion of Session II was moderated by Liao Fan, Deputy Director-General at the Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and CIETAC Arbitrator. Speakers were invited to share and exchange views on the role of arbitration in promoting economic and trade development in China and Latin America, how enterprises can regulate the use of dispute resolution clauses to prevent legal risks, and the benefits of the friendly economic development of China and Latin America for a multi-dispute resolution mechanism and other perspectives.

 

 

At the end of the Forum, Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CIETAC, said in the closing remark that the development of international commercial arbitration is encountering new changes and challenges. It is necessary to further strengthen international communication and cooperation on dispute resolution. The Forum is a critical point. CIETAC looks forward to establishing partnerships with more Latin American arbitration institutions, promoting the innovation and development of the international dispute resolution system, and playing a more significant role in maintaining the international economic and trade order and the reform of the global governance system.

The participants congratulated on the success of the Forum. They commented that the Forum promoted the communication and cooperation between China and Latin America dispute resolution institutions, which would facilitate the construction of a market-oriented, rule of law and internationalized business environment in China and Latin America. The Forum was live broadcasted through Sina Finance and Beijing Time, attracting 120,000 viewers from 15 countries (mainly of Latin American countries) around the world, watched the event through the live. Representatives of relevant government departments, judges, arbitrators, scholars, lawyers, company legal counsels and more than 140 media reporters attended the event on-site.