The Third Seminar of the International Commercial Expert Committee, also a reappointment ceremony for the first group of expert members, is hosted by the Supreme People’s Court, Aug 24, 2022. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), reiterated the need to speed up the modernization of the foreign-related trial system and capacity, further promote the development of the resolution mechanism for international commercial disputes, and provide high-level judicial services for the Belt and Road cooperation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

He made the remarks while attending the Third Seminar of the International Commercial Expert Committee (ICEC), which was also a reappointment ceremony for the first group of expert members, hosted by the SPC on Aug 24.

Zhou pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has received warm response and wide support from the international community, and has yielded remarkable achievements. The SPC established the international commercial tribunal and the ICEC following the central authorities’ decision on the establishment of international commercial dispute resolution mechanisms and institutions under the BRI, in a bid to explore new routes in resolving international commercial disputes and provide judicial services for the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, according to Zhou.

Since its establishment, the ICEC has performed the role of “think tank” in areas including the identification of extraterritorial laws, international mediation, discussions on judicial interpretations, providing legal advice as well as having academic exchanges, and has become a key platform for international legal communications and cooperation, Zhou added.

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), attends and addresses the Third Seminar of the International Commercial Expert Committee, Aug 24, 2022. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

He acknowledged the progress that China's courts have made in innovating working mechanisms on the jurisdiction, delivery, identification of extraterritorial laws, and trans-border litigation services of foreign-related commercial and civil cases, which has resulted in the conclusion of a series of foreign-related cases of international significance. China's courts have striven to resolve international commercial disputes with justice and efficiency by building a "one-stop" diversified resolution mechanism for international commercial disputes where litigation, arbitration and mediation are effectively connected, and have contributed Chinese wisdom to the construction and reform of the global governance system, he noted.

Zhou urged members of the expert committee to strive for more pragmatic and efficient cooperation and to jointly build the committee into a world class think tank on legal affairs.

Attendees of the Third Seminar of the International Commercial Expert Committee pose for a group photograph online, Aug 24, 2022. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

The seminar was held both online and offline. High-ranking officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the National Development and Reform Commission attended and addressed the seminar.