Supreme People’s Court Launches “One-Stop” Diversified International Commercial Dispute Resolution Platform: Fully Online Dispute Handling with Chinese/English Interfaces

To meet the need for online dispute settling in the Internet era, the Supreme People’s Court recently launched the “One-Stop” Diversified International Commercial Dispute Resolution Platform on the website of China International Commercial Court (CICC) for trial operation. With the platform, CICC integrates its litigation system with the mediation and arbitration system online and realizes information sharing, which will bring a synergy to vigorously promote the implementation and effectiveness of a diversified international commercial dispute resolution mechanism.

(Courtesy of CFP.CN)

　　Giving full play to the findings in “smart courts” and relying on its litigation service website, China Mobile Micro Court, the mediation platform of people’s courts and its lawsuit system, the Supreme People’s Court has built the “One-Stop” Diversified International Commercial Dispute Resolution Platform for data transmission and sharing among different systems and interconnection among different institution websites, to provide fully online case handling including registration, mediation, evidence exchange, court sessions for parties both at home and abroad.

　　To log in the “One-Stop” Diversified International Commercial Dispute Resolution Platform, a party can use the website of Chine International Commercial Court on a PC or the WeChat mini program “China Mobile Micro Court” on a cellphone. It is easy for Chinese and foreign parties to choose from different ways for litigation and mediation online depending on their environment and conditions. The platform provides two interfaces, in Chinese and in English, so that a foreign party can understand and use all its functions.

　　China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) 2020 themed “Global services with shared benefits” was held in Beijing from September 4 to 9. The 5th “Belt and Road” Services Capacity Construction Forum was held during the CIFTIS this year, where discussions were centered on the development of services capacity of international trade in services and the mediation of international commercial disputes.

　　Fu Yu, Director of the Coordination Division of the Judicial Reform Office, Supreme People’s Court, said at the forum that the Supreme People’s Court always places high importance on the development of the international commercial dispute resolution mechanism focusing on the following four aspects in this reform and development.

　　1. Introducing policy and guidance documents. In July 2015, the Supreme People’s Court issued the “Opinions on Providing Judicial Service and Safeguard to the Construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21t-Century Maritime Silk Road”, which requires local courts to build and improve a diversified dispute resolution mechanism for the construction of the “Belt and Road”, further push forward the development of a joint working mechanism for commercial mediation, arbitration, etc., and continuously meet the different needs of parties at home and abroad for dispute settlement.

　　2. Building China International Commercial Court. On June 29, 2018, the Supreme People’s Court established two international commercial courts, one in Shenzhen and the other in Xi’an. The system of expert committees for international commercial affairs and an online overseas inquiry platform have been built, and a one-stop international commercial dispute resolution platform integrating mediation and arbitration has been continuously improved.

　　3. Support for the development of an international commercial dispute mediation organization. The Judicial Reform Office of the Supreme People’s Court reforms the diversified resolution mechanism, and all the member organizations provide support, to guide the gradual development of a civil and commercial dispute mediation organization to the international standard.

　　4. Promoting legislation in commercial dispute mediation. As China joined the Singapore Convention on Mediation, it has become more necessary to standardize and materialize the commercial dispute mediation mechanism through legislation. Based on extensive study of international rules and conventions on commercial mediation, the Supreme People’s Court continuously improves the judicial interpretation and judicial policy concerning mediation, and at the same time actively promotes the development of dedicated commercial mediation law by the legislature and the commercial administration.

　　Fu Yu emphasized that courts in China will continue to protect the legal rights and interests equally for Chinese and foreign parties, create a stable, fair, transparent and convenient law-based international business environment, strongly support the development of international commercial mediation organizations, actively participate in international exchanges and cooperation, and provide strong safeguard for building an international-level, export-oriented and cooperative commercial dispute resolution mechanism.