BICT holds first open circuit trial at International Commercial Arbitration Center

On May 21, the Beijing International Commercial Tribunal (BICT) held its first open circuit trial at the International Commercial Arbitration Center in Beijing.

The hearing, which involved the confirmation of the validity of a foreign-related arbitration agreement, marked the full commencement of the BICT's circuit trial program and the accelerated development of the International Commercial Arbitration Center.

Moving forward, the BICT will utilize the Beijing International Arbitration Center to continuously extend its judicial services. In addition to holding circuit trials for cases involving arbitration judicial review and arbitration preservation review, the center will further engage in demonstration hearings, targeted legal education and diversified dispute resolution. It will also strengthen communication and collaboration with arbitration, mediation and foreign law ascertainment institutions to improve diversified dispute resolution mechanisms that connect litigation, arbitration and mediation and contribute to building an arbitration-friendly environment.

Following the trial, a symposium was held to promote the development of the center. Heads of three arbitration institutions delivered speeches at the event.

Jiang Lili, committee member and secretary-general of the Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Court, said that courts in Beijing have implemented a centralized management mechanism for judicial review of arbitration cases as well as cases involving preservation and enforcement of property in foreign-related arbitration, which provides clear and unified judicial guidance for arbitration judicial review. The Beijing Arbitration Commission will make continuous efforts in rule innovation, service upgrading and talent development, she added.

Yang Fan, deputy secretary-general of the China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC) and vice-president of its arbitration center, said that the CMAC will leverage its resources to improve its own rule-making and practices and fully support the International Commercial Arbitration Center in achieving breakthroughs in regulation formulation, talent cultivation and international outreach.

Xie Changqing, vice-president of the Arbitration Court of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), said that this first circuit trial represents the organic integration of judiciary and arbitration in physical space and service scenarios. She noted that as China's first foreign-related arbitration institution, the CIETAC will further enhance its capabilities in resolving domestic and international disputes fairly and efficiently, promoting international exchanges and cooperation and establishing an international arbitration ecosystem.

Zhang Guoqiang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice, said that over the past three years, significant progress has been made in the center's development, adding that this first circuit trial by the BICT marks the first formal event since the physical platform was launched, demonstrating the operational efficiency of the center's full-chain dispute resolution mechanism.

Li Yingxin, vice-president of the Beijing No 4 Intermediate People's Court, said that the court has continuously standardized arbitration judicial review procedures, unified review standards, made many explorations and achieved significant results in arbitration mechanism development, alignment with international arbitration practice and the establishment of a favorable arbitration environment.

She noted that the court will further inject new impetus into the international outreach of arbitration institutions in Beijing by promoting the efficient implementation of arbitration preservation (interim measures) and improving the diversified dispute resolution mechanism combining litigation, arbitration and mediation.