ICDPASO Delegation Visits Wuhan for Research: Deepening Multi-Party Collaboration to Empower Hubei's International Commercial Legal Services

Wuhan, December 2025 - With the in-depth implementation of the Yangtze River Economic Belt strategy and the continuous expansion of the opening-up landscape in the central region, Hubei Province, by virtue of its unique geographical location and well-established industrial system, has evolved into a core strategic fulcrum spearheading the high-quality development of China's inland open economy. International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO) delegation conducted a thematic research visit to Wuhan recently. The delegation successively visited the Department of Justice of Hubei Province, the Hubei Committee of the CCPIT, the Mediation Network, Hubei Jintian Law Firm, and the People's Court of Wuhan Donghu New Technology Development Zone. They engaged in in-depth discussions on how international organizations can empower Hubei's international commercial legal services. 

Mr. Jason CHIA, Secretary-General of ICDPASO, held a discussion with Ms. ZENG Qun, Deputy Director of the Department of Justice of Hubei Province. Ms. ZENG Qun introduced Hubei Province's regulatory framework for legal service institutions and management practices for legal practitioners. Both sides exchanged views on supporting the international operations of Hubei enterprises and talent cultivation, among other topics.

During the discussion at the Hubei Committee of CCPIT, Mr. SHI Minghui, Deputy Director, provided a detailed overview of the current state of international operations among Hubei enterprises and the legal service needs of small and medium-sized foreign trade companies. Both parties will leverage their respective resource advantages to jointly promote the concept of dispute prevention and the dispute prevention toolkit services, effectively helping enterprises enhance their capability to withstand overseas risks. 

During the visit to the Mediation Network, Ms. LIU Wenzhao, Head of External Relations Department, shared the platform's operational management experience in areas such as commercial mediation models, litigation-mediation collaboration mechanisms, and the cultivation of a specialist panel of mediators. This provided valuable insights for ICDPASO, and both parties will collaborate to advance the development of international mediator teams.

During discussions with Hubei Jintian Law Firm, Director LI Jiajun systematically presented the firm's development in foreign-related legal services, practical experience in handling typical cross-border disputes, as well as the core challenges and demands enterprises face in the field of foreign-related legal services. Moving forward, both parties will deepen practical cooperation by focusing on areas such as the ICDPASO Model Clauses and collaborative promotion of one-stop dispute resolution services.

Ms. YANG Zhaoying, Head of General Affairs Department of ICDPASO, and her delegation visited the People's Court of Wuhan Donghu New Technology Development Zone. Mr. CHENG Hao, the Court’s President, introduced the court's practical achievements in foreign-related commercial adjudication and diversified dispute resolution, as well as innovative measures to provide judicial safeguards for regional development. Both parties will focus on serving the needs of commercial entities in the zone’s characteristic industries and the cultivation of in-house legal talents, and jointly carry out activities integrating law and commerce.

Through this research, ICDPASO has gained a more thorough

 understanding of the legal service needs of Hubei enterprises in their internationalization process. Moving forward, ICDPASO will deepen comprehensive cooperation with all sectors in Hubei Province to provide robust legal support for the opening-up of the central region to a higher level.