Arbitration is the dominant method in the world for resolving international commercial disputes. As compared with institutional arbitration, ad hoc arbitration has many advantages that make it a preferred way to resolve commercial disputes on many occasions. The Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China, however, requires that parties appoint an arbitration institution in their arbitration agreement; otherwise an ad hoc arbitration agreement is invalid. This rule seems to preclude ad hoc arbitration under Chinese law and threatens the validity of many arbitration agreements that are imperfectly drafted. Fortunately, however, this does not mean Chinese courts will never enforce an ad hoc arbitration agreement or an ad hoc arbitration award. This book informs parties and practitioners of potential pitfalls related to ad hoc arbitration in China and offers practical guidance. It also conducts a comparative study of the history of arbitration in the Western world and in China, to identify the reasons for this hostility to ad hoc arbitration and calls for changes to this requirement under Chinese law.
A prosperous economy goes hand in hand with a competent, impartial, and efficient legal system. International investment is only possible when the business parties are confident that adequate dispute resolution possibilities exist. A conference on "Arbitration in China" was held by the Association for International Arbitration (AIA) in March 2009. This book - a product of the conference - highlights the newest opportunities and updates - for lawyers, arbitrators, mediators, and investors - about arbitration and mediation in the event a dispute were to arise with Chinese partners. The book includes the conference's opening remarks, presented by the president of the AIA, Johan Billiet, who highlights the differences between Chinese and 'Western' arbitration. Other contributions include: the issue of mediation and arbitration in China * International Chamber of Commerce arbitration in China * arbitration differences between China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission and other Asian institutions, such as Hong Kong International Arbitration Center, Singapore International Arbitration Center, Korean Commercial Arbitration Board, and Japan Commercial Arbitration Association * recent developments in Chinese arbitration * the issue of recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards in China.
In the context of harmonisation of arbitration law and practice worldwide, to what extent do local legal traditions still influence local arbitration practices, especially at a time when non-Western countries are playing an increasingly important role in international commercial and financial markets? How are the new economic powers reacting to the trend towards harmonisation? China provides a good case study, with its historic tradition of non-confrontational means of dispute resolution now confronting current trends in transnational arbitration. Is China showing signs of adapting to the current trend of transnational arbitration? On the other hand, will Chinese legal culture influence the practice of arbitration in the rest of the world? To address these challenging questions it is necessary to examine the development of arbitration in the context of China's changing cultural and legal structures. Written for international business people, lawyers, academics and students, this book gives the reader a unique insight into arbitration practice in China, based on a combination of theoretical analysis and practical insights. It explains contemporary arbitration in China from an interdisciplinary perspective and with a comparative approach, setting Chinese arbitration in its wider social context to aid understanding of its history, contemporary practice, the legal obstacles to modern arbitration and possible future trends. In 2011 the thesis on which this book was based was named 'Best Thesis in International Studies' by the Swiss Network for International Studies. “What distinguishes this work from other books on international arbitration is its interdisciplinary perspective and comparative approach...this book makes a remarkable contribution to the understanding of arbitration in China and transnational arbitration in general. Academics, scholars and students of international arbitration, comparative studies and globalisation may all find this book stimulating. It also provides useful guidance for practitioners involved or interested in arbitration in China.” From the Foreword by Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's International Arbitration online service.
Arbitration in China has been aligned with international norms since the enactment of the Arbitration Law in 1994. The purpose of this book is to assist practitioners by describing the law governing arbitration in China as it is currently applied to practice, both domestically and internationally, taking into account the regime's numerous features. Among the details affecting arbitration practice and procedure in China covered are the following: • arbitration agreement as a precondition for any arbitration proceedings; • finality of arbitral awards without any right of appeal; • procedure governing arbitral proceedings; • the extent of permissible judicial review; • arbitrations with a connection to Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan; • persistent involvement of local governments in arbitration acceptance and proceedings; • rules on the handling of cases with foreign elements; • guidelines provided in the Supreme People’s Court’s judicial interpretations; • fees; • grounds for objecting to jurisdiction; • mechanisms for multi-party arbitration; • interim injunctions; • formation of arbitral tribunals; • use of expert witnesses; • enforcement of arbitral awards; and • use of mediation. Although focusing predominantly on the practical effects of Arbitration Law provisions, the authors stress practice involving China’s two commissions specifically addressing international matters, the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and the Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC). Among the numerous local commissions functioning under the Arbitration Law, special attention is paid to those in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, which (along with CIETAC) accept the greatest number of cases with a foreign element. The book will be invaluable to corporate counsel and other practitioners dealing with Chinese companies. Scholars of comparative arbitration law will also find much here to interest them.
The new rules of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) that came into effect on 1 May 2012 are widely recognized as the full commitment of the Chinese government to the international arbitration system. Clarifications of the scope of the Arbitration Law to include contractual disputes, disputes over rights and interests in property, and disputes between legal persons and other organizations, as well as the firm establishment of the arbitration agreement as the sole and exclusive basis for founding the jurisdiction of an arbitral tribunal, greatly allay any residual apprehension on the part of foreign investors. This third edition of a book that has been widely relied upon since 2003 by business people and their counsel with interests in China is the first publication to offer comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the CIETAC Rules 2012. In addition to the matchless features for which earlier editions are so greatly valued – such as in-depth coverage of enforcement of foreign judgements in China and of Chinese judgements elsewhere, measures to overcome local protectionism, effects of China’s most important bilateral investment treaties (BITs), and arbitration-related interpretations of the Supreme People’s Court – the new edition highlights such aspects of the CIETAC Rules 2012 as the following: the new mechanism of consolidation of arbitrations; power to grant interim measures via the forms of procedural orders or interim awards; procedure of suspension of arbitration; conservator measures; interlocutory award and partial award; combining conciliation with arbitration; and expedited process under a new summary procedure. With first-hand expert guidance on the actual handling of arbitration cases, recommended arbitration agreement clauses for numerous contingencies, case studies and comparative cases to elucidate the handling of specific issues, abundant legal instruments for quick, direct reference to the relevant law, and an annex with English texts of the most important laws and regulations, this book offers all the details and insights a practitioner needs. While Arbitration Law and Practice in China is primarily a detailed, practical examination of Chinese arbitration practice and related laws, the Third Edition’s special significance lies in its thorough and timely coverage of the CIETAC Rules 2012. For this reason especially it will be of great practical value to business people everywhere operating or seeking opportunities to partner with Chinese enterprises. It will also be useful to corporate counsel, arbitration institutions, and students of dispute resolution.
This concise yet comprehensive textbook introduces the reader to the law and practice of international arbitration. Arbitration is a complex field due to the variety of disciplines involved and necessitates an approach that takes nothing for granted. Written by a renowned scholar and practitioner, this book explains the divergent issues of civil procedure, contracts, conflict of laws, international law amongst others in an accessible manner. Focusing mainly on international commercial arbitration, the book also features a distinct chapter on consumer and online arbitration and an equally comprehensive chapter on international investment arbitration.
ICCA's Congress Series No. 12, reflecting the contributions of numerous renown arbitration experts to the 2004 ICCA Beijing Conference, commences with an overview of the current international arbitration regime in China and Hong Kong, noting both the progress that has been achieved and the work that remains to be done there. The remainder of the volume comprises two sets of papers on contemporary substantive and procedural issues in international commercial arbitration. The first set contains in-depth reports on the topical subjects of arbitration of foreign investment disputes, the granting of provisional or interim measures with respect to arbitration and the enforceability of awards, supplemented by commentary from the point of view of various specializations and regions. The second, also using the format of reports and commentary, addresses modalities of conciliation and settlement in relation to arbitration, including various non-binding (ADR) processes, issues (drafting step clauses and confidentiality) in integrated dispute resolution systems, which may combine conciliation and arbitration, and the role of arbitrators as settlement facilitators.
"This book, by a leading international arbitration practitioner, offers suggested language for every option that a drafter of an international arbitration clause may need. Following a succinct assessment of the choice between arbitration and litigation and commentary on the choices among arbitration fora and formats, the author presents an accessible how-to for drafting. While other works offer theory and a smattering of drafting tips, there is no other comprehensive collection of workable language, presented accessibly with easy-to-reference appendices. This book will be a standard reference for both in-house counsel and outside practitioners. This book provides, in an accessible format, clauses that address all the significant issues that contracting parties face, and in any event should consider, when they decide to draft a dispute resolution clause for an international contract. Those who wish immediate access to suggested language may turn directly to the Appendices. Those who wish to understand the analysis that leads to the suggested language should read the text."--Publisher's website.
Dispute resolution reforms in China in the last decade or so have all centred around the strategy of establishing an integrated dispute resolution system as part of China’s modern governance system. This new integrated system, referred to as the ‘Mechanism for Pluralist Dispute Resolution (PDR)’ in China, serves as a dispute resolution system as well as a comprehensive social control mechanism. This book is the first academic attempt to explain the methods of civil and commercial dispute resolution in China from the perspective of PDR. It systematically and critically examines the development of China’s dispute resolution system, with each chapter analysing in detail the development and transformation of the different institutions, mechanisms and processes in their historical, politico-economic and comparative context.
