The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Beijing Office was officially inaugurated on December 16, making it the first representative office of an overseas arbitration institution to be set up in the city.

The world-renowned HKIAC is a leading international arbitration institution in the Asia-Pacific region. The successful establishment of its Beijing Office in the CBD reflects Beijing’s openness in promoting international arbitration.

In the process of building an international commercial arbitration center, Beijing has strengthened institutional and policy support for the opening-up of arbitration, and issued a series of documents, including the Several Measures of the Beijing Municipality to Reform and Improve the Development Environment of the Legal Services Industry and the Administrative Measures for the Registration of Business Offices Established by Overseas Arbitration Institutions in China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Efforts have been made to accelerate the local legislation of the Regulations on the Development of the Beijing International Commercial Arbitration Center, while continuously refining policies related to work, residence, and entry and exit.

Looking forward, the HKIAC Beijing Office will leverage Beijing’s “two zones” development policies to serve as a new platform for harnessing the strengths of HKSAR’s arbitration system under the framework of “One Country, Two Systems”, and enhancing exchanges and cooperation between the HKSAR and the Chinese mainland in legal and arbitration sectors. The office will also contribute to the development of the Beijing International Commercial Arbitration Center.