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Visit of President Ma Zhanjun and his delegation from the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber to Guangdong ETR Law Firm

Release time:2024-04-15 16:43:36

On the morning of April 10, 2024, President Ma Zhanjun of the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber and Director Li Xinyi of the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber Hong Kong Arbitration Center were invited to attend a symposium at Guangdong ETR Law Firm. Attending the symposium were Zhu Tao, Co-Chairman of the Management Committee and Partner of Guangdong ETR Law Firm, as well as Partners Zhong Zhifen, Huang Heng, Zhang You, Chen Chunyan, Huang Jin, a lawyer qualified to practice in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, Pan Yiming, a foreign-related lawyer, and Chen Jiewen, Deputy Director of the Administration Office and Head of the Business Department.

Mr. Zhu Tao, Co-Chairman of the Management Committee and Partner of ETR Law Firm, led President Ma Zhanjun and his delegation on a tour of the law firm's offices, introducing them to the firm's background and development history, with a focus on the firm's experience and achievements in the field of international legal services.

Subsequently, the symposium officially commenced, chaired by Mr. Zhu Tao, Co-Chairman of the Management Committee and Partner of ETR Law Firm.

President Ma Zhanjun introduced the founding principles and organizational structure of the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber and shared insights into the current trends in China's legal services market. President Ma stated that deepening international economic and trade investment and cooperation is not only an important part of China's national development strategy but also a major trend in future global economic activities. The further establishment and improvement of the global trade chain have opened up a significant gap in China's domestic legal services market for international dispute resolution. To address this, the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber has established the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber Hong Kong Arbitration Center in Hong Kong, aiming to radiate throughout the entire Greater Bay Area. Meanwhile, the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber has also established arbitration centers or service centers in countries and regions such as Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hangzhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing, forming a united operating system of "mutual support and online collaboration" among its branches, providing comprehensive international arbitration services for entities with international dispute resolution needs in China and globally.

President Ma pointed out that language barriers are an inevitable challenge for most Chinese lawyers in international arbitration. Firstly, English remains the primary arbitration language for international arbitration cases, posing higher demands on lawyers' English proficiency. Secondly, current international arbitration rules are still oriented towards common law systems, requiring Chinese lawyers to spend more time and effort learning and mastering another arbitration system. Additionally, international influence is another historic challenge facing Chinese lawyers in the field of international arbitration. In most international commercial dispute cases, Chinese lawyers lack opportunities. With the rapid development of the Chinese economy and the continuous expansion of opening-up, especially in international cooperation projects such as the “Belt and Road” Initiative, Chinese lawyers are facing new opportunities in the field of international arbitration.

President Ma believes that as an international arbitration institution, the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber has a high-quality team of arbitrators, specialized Chinese arbitration language services, and flexible arbitration procedures. Lawyers and parties from China can autonomously choose the arbitration language and rules that best suit the specific circumstances of the case, achieving efficient allocation of time and other resources for both parties. At the same time, the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber provides a highly open and inclusive platform for learning and exchange for Chinese lawyers, creating more opportunities to resolve cross-border commercial disputes and enabling Chinese lawyers to play key roles in international legal dispute resolution.

Mr. Zhu Tao, Co-Chairman of the Management Committee and Partner of ETR Law Firm, stated that the emergence of the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber provides more opportunities for Chinese lawyers to participate in international arbitration. Three aspects are particularly notable: firstly, "arbitration at your fingertips," which fully embodies the combination of arbitration and technology through paperless processing, conducting operations through electronic platforms, thereby realizing the digitization transformation of arbitration procedures; secondly, in the selection of arbitrators, besides choosing suitable arbitrators from the roster of this arbitration institution, parties can also select arbitrators from the rosters of other arbitration institutions based on the specific nature of the case; additionally, the application of arbitration rules also reflects the inclusiveness and openness of international arbitration. Besides applying the rules of their own arbitration institutions, parties can also choose to apply the arbitration rules of other institutions. By introducing technology, flexibly selecting arbitrators, and applying multiple arbitration rules, the participation and influence of Chinese lawyers in international arbitration will be further enhanced, opening up new opportunities and space for the development of Chinese lawyers in the field of international arbitration.

The symposium concluded successfully, with in-depth exchanges and discussions on important issues related to international arbitration, providing valuable insights and suggestions for promoting the development of Chinese lawyers in the field of international arbitration. In the future, the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber will uphold the characteristic service concept of efficiency, openness, inclusiveness, fairness, and justice, providing professional and efficient international arbitration legal services for the Greater Bay Area of China, as well as countries and regions around the Pacific Ocean, in resolving commercial disputes.


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