The 2017 International Mediation Summit, hosted by CCPIT and Hangzhou Municipal Government, was held in Hangzhou on September 19th. Around 400 legal experts, mediators, lawyers and business representatives from China, China’s Hong Kong, the US, the UK, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Germany and Denmark were in attendance. CCPIT Vice Chairman Lu Pengqi attended and addressed the opening ceremony.
Aiming to implement the "Belt and Road" Initiative and establish a non-antagonistic dispute resolution mechanism under the framework of the "Belt and Road" Initiative, the summit took “Mediation and Diversified Dispute Resolution Mechanism” as the theme and set up a great deal of issues involving “Development of Online Dispute Resolution Mechanism”, “Discussion on Dispute Settlement and Comparative Advantage of Commercial Mediation in the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative”, “Outlook on Internet Plus Dispute Resolution”, “Analysis on the Mediation in Commercial Reconciliation and Arbitration” and “Case Study of Cross-border Commercial Mediation”. About 10 guests including legal experts from courts at all levels in Zhejiang province, Singapore International Mediation Center, Hong Kong Mediation Center, CCPIT, Renmin University of China, Stanford University and other well-known law firms at home and abroad, and mediation experts from the US, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, China and China’s Hong Kong participated in the discussions and delivered speeches.
Mediation respects the autonomy of the parties concerned. Mediators strive for building mutual understanding and reconciliation between the parties in dispute to achieve win-win results after identification and responsibility clarification, in accordance with the contracts, legal regulations and international practices as well as fair and reasonable principles. Therefore, mediation is an important non-antagonist dispute resolution which has made great contribution to the maintenance of long-term cooperation and interests of the two parties, and plays an important role in dispute resolution, especially in the settlement of international commercial disputes. At present, more than 50 countries in the world have formulated laws and regulations or commercial mediation rules concerning Commercial Conciliation, and set up mediation institutions or mediation service organizations. The international community is actively promoting the development of commercial mediation, and many well-known international organizations have formulated reconciliation rules and strongly advocated dispute resolution through mediation and other non-antagonist patterns.
Mediation has been in existence in China for more than 2,000 years, and it is showing new vitality in the current construction of a diversified dispute resolution mechanism. The Supreme People's Court set up the principle of “Mediation Priority, Trial and Mediation Combined”. Therefore, the domestic arbitration institutions have gradually deepened mediation and arbitration, with the emergence of various mediation institutions, and the settlement of more disputes through mediation.
CCPIT Mediation Center, as the first domestic commercial mediation institution in China, has established 48 local mediation centers across the country, as well as 14 joint mediation centers in 21 countries and regions, and has settled numerous international commercial disputes through mediation each year. Moreover, CCPIT signed a cooperation agreement with Malaysia Mediation Center and Singapore International Mediation Center to strengthen cooperation on mediation publicity and the handling of international commercial cases.
The summit, through the explanation of the concept and function of mediation, discussed issues including innovations of mediation rules in different countries, effects of the internet on mediation, problems in mediation development, mediation development trend, and practical experiences in mediation, all of which are of great significance in promoting the application and development of mediation in Asia and elsewhere in the world.
The "Belt and Road" Initiative advocates mutual trust in politics, integration in economy and tolerance in culture, adheres to the principle of broad consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, which is in accordance with the notion of “Harmony is Precious” that is contained in mediation. The forum explored the cross-border dispute mediation model endorsed by internet technology from the perspectives of Asia and the rest of the world, and acquired a more convenient, efficient and cost-effective dispute settlement for commercial cases in countries along the “Belt and Road” route.