Duan & Duan meets the CIETAC delegation in London during London International Disputes Week 2025

In June 2025, during London International Disputes Week, Duan & Duan met a delegation from the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会，贸仲; CIETAC) in London. The delegation was led by Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC.

Jackson Ng and Leon Chua, Partners at Duan & Duan UK LLP, the network's London member firm, took part in the meeting alongside colleagues from across the Duan & Duan network: Wu Jian (吴坚), Equity Partner at Duan & Duan's Shanghai headquarters, and Chengwei Qi (戚诚伟).

In short

• A CIETAC delegation led by Vice Chairman and Secretary-General Wang Chengjie met Duan & Duan in London during London International Disputes Week 2025 (1 to 3 June 2025).
• The discussion covered trends in international arbitration, issues in cross-border dispute resolution, and dispute resolution along the Belt and Road.
• CIETAC reported the visit on its own website, listing Duan & Duan among the firms it met in London.

Arbitration and cross-border disputes

The CIETAC delegation's programme in London included meetings with a number of law firms and barristers' chambers. In its report of the trip, published on its website on 5 June 2025, CIETAC lists "段和段律师事务所伦敦分所" (its description of the Duan & Duan firm in London) among the firms it met, and includes a photograph of the meeting.

According to the reports, the two sides exchanged views on recent trends in international arbitration practice, the difficult and topical issues in cross-border dispute resolution, and innovation in dispute resolution mechanisms along the Belt and Road, and reached common ground on cooperation in international arbitration.

Many contracts between Chinese and UK businesses name CIETAC as the arbitral institution, and the winning party often needs to enforce the award against assets in England. That work sits between the two legal systems, and it is at the heart of our arbitration and dispute resolution practice. Our note on enforcing a mainland Chinese arbitral award in the United Kingdom explains how enforcement works in practice.

Reports of the visit

The visit was reported by CIETAC on its website: 贸仲出访英伦：广泛开展法律交流、取得丰硕成果 (5 June 2025).

This event was also reported by Duan & Duan: 吴坚律师于段和段伦敦分所接待中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会代表团 (21 June 2025). Further Duan & Duan news is at duanduan.com/news.

Our thanks to Secretary-General Wang Chengjie and the CIETAC delegation for their visit.

Frequently asked questions

What is CIETAC?

The China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会, often shortened to CIETAC or 贸仲) is an arbitration institution based in Beijing, mainland China. It administers international and domestic commercial arbitrations under its own arbitration rules, and parties can name it as their arbitral institution in the dispute resolution clause of a contract.

When did the CIETAC delegation meet Duan & Duan in London?

The meeting took place during London International Disputes Week 2025, which ran from 1 to 3 June 2025. CIETAC's delegation was led by Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC, and CIETAC reported the visit on its website on 5 June 2025.

What was discussed at the meeting?

According to the reports published by CIETAC and by Duan & Duan, the discussion covered recent trends in international arbitration practice, difficult and topical issues in cross-border dispute resolution, and innovation in dispute resolution mechanisms along the Belt and Road. The two sides reached common ground on cooperation in international arbitration.

Can a CIETAC arbitral award be enforced in England?

In most cases, yes. The United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China are both parties to the New York Convention 1958, which is implemented in English law by sections 100 to 103 of the Arbitration Act 1996. An award made in mainland China can be enforced through the English courts, and enforcement can be resisted only on the limited grounds set out in section 103.