The 2026 annual conference and symposium of the Specialized Committee on Foreign-related Adjudication Theory under the China Law Society's Association of Adjudication Theory Studies was held in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, on Oct 21.
Mao Zhonghua, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), attended and addressed the event. Zhang Haibo, director of the committee and president of the Guangdong High People's Court, and Ye Xiangrong, deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and executive vice-president of the Guangdong Law Society, also delivered remarks.
Mao called for maintaining the correct political direction in research on foreign-related adjudication theory and developing new research approaches while upholding fundamental principles and pursuing innovation.
He stressed the need to respond to changing circumstances and new tasks, address practical problems, and meet judicial challenges arising from disputes in emerging fields. Research should focus on frontier issues, including the application of law in new types of foreign-related commercial cases and the harmonization of rules governing cross-border commercial disputes, he said.
Mao urged closer integration of theoretical research and adjudication practice to support the modernization of the foreign-related adjudication system and capacity.
He also called on the committee to fulfill its role as a platform for academic exchanges, draw on high-quality cases, and deepen international judicial exchanges and mutual learning. Greater efforts should be made to communicate China’s judicial practice to international audiences, and enhance the international credibility of its foreign-related judiciary and its voice in shaping relevant rules, so as to contribute Chinese judicial expertise to global governance, he added.
The event brought together more than 60 participants, including representatives from the SPC and relevant high people's courts, scholars, and legal practitioners. More than 250 papers were submitted to the symposium, with representatives of the authors of outstanding papers taking part in the discussions.
Keynote speeches covered topics such as strengthening foreign-related rule of law, applying uniform law for international commerce in foreign-related commercial adjudication, and key and complex procedural issues in foreign-related civil litigation. Participants also held in-depth discussions on alignment of international economic and trade rules from a judicial perspective and mechanisms for resolving international commercial disputes.
