On November 23, Zhuhai Court of International Arbitration issued its Implementation Plan to serve the Development of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. It provided several principles to guide arbitration in applying Chinese mainland or Macao laws to resolve civil and commercial disputes.

                        (Photo / Guan Mingrong)

The plan was released during the 2021 Annual Work Meeting of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Arbitration Alliance, also an arbitration forum held in Hengqin, Zhuhai. Held by Zhuhai Court of International Arbitration, the event has attracted over 200 representatives from legal institutions, universities and enterprises.

As an internationally accepted method of dispute resolution, arbitration also plays an important role in rule of law innovation in the Cooperation Zone. The newly-released plan is to build a public legal service system in the Cooperation Zone, build an international regional arbitration center, and provide high-quality and efficient arbitration and mediation services.

In detail, the plan lists specific measures covering issues of jointly-establishing cross-boundary arbitration cooperation platform, further reform of arbitration institutions, establishment of international arbitration mechanisms, etc.

Zhuhai Court of International Arbitration will take the development of the Cooperation Zone as an opportunity to converge with the internationally accepted commercial arbitration system, and promote the convergence of rules between Zhuhai and Macao in the field of arbitration.

Next, the Cooperation Zone will make efforts to further develop the Zhuhai-Macao cross-boundary arbitration platform, establish new arbitration collaboration mechanisms and support personnel training to serve businesses in the zone, said Zhong Yingyi, acting director of Legal Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone.

"Arbitration institutions in the Greater Bay Area should deepen the cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and provide high-quality, convenient legal services for GBA enterprises," said Teresa Cheng, Secretary for Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR. 

Author: Will

Editor: Nan, Jerry