CHINA: An Introduction to Dispute Resolution (PRC Firms)

CHINA: An Introduction to Dispute Resolution (PRC Firms

2025钱伯斯全球指南——中国：争议解决概览（中资所）

In recent years, China’s dispute resolution landscape has continued to evolve amidst a complex legal environment and a constantly changing commercial backdrop. Market volatility has heightened the urgency for domestic and international businesses to seek efficient dispute resolution mechanisms. Notably, over the past year, China has made significant strides in advancing arbitration, aligning its systems with international standards, and enhancing mutual judicial co-operation and trust.

当前，中国争议解决领域持续面临着复杂的法律环境和不断变化的商业背景，市场波动带来的不确定性加剧了国内外企业对高效解决纠纷的迫切需求。值得关注的是，过去一年里，中国在推动仲裁发展、促进制度与国际接轨、增强国际司法互助互信等方面取得了显著突破和进步。

Development of Interim Measures in Arbitration

仲裁临时措施的发展

In 2024, both the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (SHIAC) introduced new arbitration rules incorporating provisions for interim measures and emergency arbitrator procedures. Notably, the 2024 edition of the SHIAC Arbitration Rules includes a dedicated chapter specifically addressing interim measures and emergency arbitrators.

2024年，中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会（“贸仲”）和上海国际经济贸易仲裁委员会（“上国仲”）均发布了包含临时措施和紧急仲裁员程序的新仲裁规则，其中上国仲2024版《仲裁规则》还设立了针对临时措施及紧急仲裁员的专章。

A landmark development occurred in October 2024, when China’s first case involving an interim measure issued by an arbitral tribunal was recognised and enforced by a court. In this case, the Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC) handled an international arbitration concerning technology development and services. At the applicant’s request, the arbitral tribunal issued an interim measure, which was subsequently preserved and enforced by the Beijing Fourth Intermediate People’s Court. This milestone signifies the substantive recognition of the effectiveness of arbitral tribunal interim measures in China, sending a strong signal of support for international commercial arbitration. It is expected to further enhance the efficiency and safeguards of arbitration in China.

2024年10月，中国首宗由仲裁庭作出临时措施决定并得到法院保全及执行的案件诞生——在北京仲裁委员会（“北仲”）受理的一起技术开发与服务国际仲裁案件中，仲裁庭应申请人请求作出临时措施决定，随后北京市第四中级人民法院对该临时措施裁定进行了保全并执行。这一实践标志着中国仲裁庭临时措施效力的实质性确认，传递了支持国际商事仲裁的强烈信号，预期将进一步提升中国仲裁的效率和保障。

Active Exploration in Ad Hoc Arbitration

临时仲裁领域的积极探索

China has shown active efforts in promoting ad hoc arbitration practices in line with international norms. In June 2024, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Justice issued the Provisional Measures for Promoting Ad Hoc Arbitration in Foreign-Related Commercial and Maritime Cases in Shanghai (Trial Implementation), marking the first local-level legal document in China to explicitly regulate and endorse the ad hoc arbitration system. Subsequently, in July 2024, the Shanghai Arbitration Association Rules for Ad Hoc Arbitration were adopted at the Fifth Meeting of the Second Council of the Shanghai Arbitration Association, providing further guidance for conducting ad hoc arbitration in Shanghai.

在临时仲裁领域，中国过去一年展现了促进制度实践与国际通行理论接轨的积极探索和持续努力。上海市司法局于2024年6月出台了《上海市涉外商事海事临时仲裁推进办法（试行）》，形成国内首个在地方层面上明确规定和认可“临时仲裁”制度的法律文件。2024年7月，《上海仲裁协会临时仲裁规则》经上海仲裁协会第二届理事会第五次会议通过，进一步为在上海临时仲裁提供了指南。

In practice, August 2024 witnessed the first foreign-related maritime ad hoc arbitration case in China, held in Shanghai’s Hongkou District, where an award was rendered. During the same period, a prominent UK industry association and a shipping company based in Shanghai’s Pudong District signed an ad hoc arbitration agreement, marking the first case in China initiated by a foreign party for ad hoc arbitration.

实践方面，2024年8月，全国首例涉外海事临时仲裁案件在上海虹口开庭并作出裁决。同月，英国某知名行业协会与浦东某航运公司签署临时仲裁协议并进入仲裁程序，该案为全国首例外方当事人申请在中国开展临时仲裁的案件。

Advances in Judicial Review

司法审查方面的进步

Chinese courts have further demonstrated their strong support for arbitration and commitment to promoting the internationalisation of commercial dispute resolution mechanisms. In January 2024, the Supreme People’s Court issued ten landmark cases on judicial review of arbitration, three of which involved enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and topics related to the Belt and Road Initiative. These cases clarified key standards on issues such as the validity of arbitration clauses designating foreign arbitral institutions to conduct arbitration in China, criteria for consensual submission to arbitration, and the balance between procedural flaws and the finality of arbitration.

中国法院进一步展现出对仲裁的大力支持和对商事争议解决机制国际化发展的推动。2024年1月，最高人民法院发布十大仲裁司法审查典型案例，其中三个案例涉及境外裁决在境内执行及有关“一带一路”建设内容，明确了“约定境外仲裁机构在我国内地仲裁条款的有效性”“合意提交仲裁的标准和尺度”“仲裁程序瑕疵和一裁终局间平衡性”等争议的裁判标准问题。

In September 2024, the Supreme People’s Court released the Annual Report on Judicial Review of Commercial Arbitration (2023). The report highlighted that over 16,000 judicial review cases concerning commercial arbitration were concluded by Chinese courts in 2023, reflecting a 5% year-on-year growth. Additionally, 69 offshore arbitral awards were recognised and enforced, representing a 16.9% increase from the previous year. These judicial transparency initiatives and statistical disclosures underscore the Chinese judiciary’s efforts to foster an arbitration-friendly judicial environment and its determination to support international commercial arbitration.

2024年9月，最高人民法院发布《商事仲裁司法审查年度报告（2023）》，报告显示2023年全国各级法院共审结商事仲裁司法审查案件1.6万余件，同比增长5%；裁定承认（认可）和执行境外仲裁裁决69件，同比增长16.9%。这些司法公开举措和统计数据体现了中国法院为营造仲裁友好型司法环境所作的积极努力，以及支持国际商事仲裁发展的决心。

Mutual Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments and Arbitral Awards

法院判决和仲裁裁决的互相承认（认可）和执行

Internationally, the professionalism and global influence of Chinese arbitration institutions continue to gain recognition. Awards rendered by BAC, CIETAC, SHIAC, and others have been recognised and enforced in jurisdictions such as the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and the Taiwan region. Notably, Saudi courts enforced a CIETAC award involving RMB240 million, the highest amount recognised by Saudi courts for a Chinese arbitral award. In Canada, the Ontario Superior Court enforced a CIETAC award involving RMB1.2 billion, setting a record for the highest value of an arbitral award enforced overseas by a Chinese arbitration institution.

国际上，中国仲裁机构的专业水平和国际影响不断提升并得到持续认可，北仲、贸仲、上国仲等仲裁机构所作仲裁裁决继续在美国、加拿大、沙特阿拉伯、越南、中国台湾地区等获得承认与执行。其中，沙特阿拉伯法院承认和执行金额人民币2.4亿元的贸仲裁决，创下沙特阿拉伯法院承认和执行中国仲裁裁决的最高金额。加拿大安大略省高等法院承认并执行了涉人民币12亿元的贸仲裁决，刷新了中国仲裁机构域外执行标的额最高纪录。

Domestically, the rules governing recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards have been further refined. The newly revised Civil Procedure Law expanded the jurisdiction of courts that can hear applications for the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and clarified five standards for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and rulings. Between the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, the Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters came into effect on 29 January 2024, alongside the implementation of Hong Kong’s Mainland Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 645). These arrangements enable the recognition and enforcement of the vast majority of effective judgments in civil and commercial matters between the two regions.

而在国内，外国法院生效判决、裁定承认与执行的基本规则得到进一步完善。新修订的《民事诉讼法》扩大了申请承认和执行外国仲裁裁决的法院范围，明确了承认与执行外国判决、裁定时的五项审查标准。内地与香港之间，《最高人民法院关于内地与香港特别行政区法院相互认可和执行民商事案件判决的安排》也自2024年1月29日起正式施行，香港特区政府此前颁布的《内地民商事判决（相互强制执行）条例》（第645章）亦于同日正式生效，意味着两地绝大多数民商事领域的生效裁判文书均可得到承认与执行。

Development of Online Dispute Resolution Mechanisms

在线争议解决机制的发展

China has been actively exploring online dispute resolution (ODR) mechanisms to meet the demands of the digital era. Currently, many litigation activities can be conducted online through Chinese courts and arbitration institutions. The rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce and related activities in recent years has also posed new challenges to the efficiency of dispute resolution platforms.

中国一直在探索在线争议解决机制（ODR），以适应数字化时代的需求，目前许多诉讼活动已经可以通过在线方式在中国法院及仲裁机构进行。近年来全球跨境电商等业务的迅猛发展，也对争议解决平台的效率提出了新的挑战。

Over the past year, China has made significant progress and breakthroughs in ODR, particularly in the gradual improvement of cross-border online dispute resolution mechanisms. On 30 January 2024, the Guidelines for the “One-Stop” Diversified International Commercial Dispute Resolution Platform (Trial Implementation), issued by the Supreme People’s Court, officially came into effect. This platform integrates the entire process of the Supreme People’s Court’s International Commercial Court with international commercial mediation institutions, international commercial arbitration institutions, and the experts from the International Commercial Expert Committee under the “One-Stop” Diversified International Commercial Dispute Resolution Mechanism. The platform supports and facilitates parties in resolving international commercial disputes through a variety of approaches, including neutral evaluation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation. This initiative further enhances the convenience, professionalism, and efficiency of resolving major international commercial disputes in China, marking a new attempt to leverage digital platforms for resolving international commercial disputes.

过去一年来，中国在线争议解决机制取得了显著的发展和突破，尤其是跨境在线纠纷解决机制逐步完善。2024年1月30日起，最高人民法院发布的《“一站式”国际商事纠纷多元化解决平台工作指引（试行）》正式施行，该平台实现了最高人民法院国际商事法庭与“一站式”国际商事纠纷多元化解决机制内的国际商事调解机构、国际商事仲裁机构以及最高人民法院国际商事专家委员会专家委员的全流程有机衔接，支持和便利当事人通过选择中立评估、调解、仲裁或者诉讼等多元化方式解决国际商事纠纷。这一举措进一步优化和便利了重大国际商事争议在中国解决的便利性、专业性和高效性，也是中国在方便当事人运用信息化平台解决国际商事纠纷领域的又一新的尝试。

Conclusion

结语

Over the past year, China’s efforts in cross-border dispute resolution, international co-operation mechanisms, and mutual recognition and enforcement of judicial decisions have underscored its commitment to innovation in institutional practices. These developments reflect China’s determination to adapt to the needs of international dispute resolution and strengthen its global legal standing.

总而言之，过去一年里，我们能够看到中国对跨境争议解决、国际合作机制、国际间司法承认与执行的重视，这些进步和发展趋势表明中国正在不断推进制度实践创新，以更好地适应国际化的争议解决需求。