Written by by He Huifeng and Kandy Wong at scmp.com
China is billing its large cities as up-and-coming spots to host disputes through arbitration, but international interest is still low
Analysts say a more developed system is needed to assuage concerns from global firms and catch up to venues like Singapore
After two years of hard work, Beijing-based lawyer Wilson Wei Huo had cause for celebration. His team had won an arbitration case earlier this year – a rare victory for a firm in mainland China – representing a domestic enterprise in an overseas dispute.
“The case involves a landmark metallurgical project in a country taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, and the company was involved in equipment design, construction and provision. It is a [model case] for Chinese manufacturing, technology and ‘going global’ by Chinese standards,” said Huo, a partner at the Zhong Lun Law Firm.