The Maritime Silk Road Integrated Base for International Legal and Commercial Services. [Photo provided to ftz.xm.gov.cn]
In early May, a crew injury dispute on a cross-Strait route was reported to the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration. With the cause of the injury unclear, direct talks between the crew member and the shipowner broke down. The administration then referred the case to the Fujian Cross-Strait Maritime Dispute Resolution Center.
The mediation team used both separate and joint meetings to hear each side, clarify the core issues, and propose well-crafted solutions. After three rounds of mediation, the parties reached a preliminary settlement.
Following this, arbitration institutions from both sides of the Strait launched the country's first model for converting maritime mediation into special cross-Strait arbitration. The parties agreed to apply the Maritime Silk Road Special Arbitration Rules for Maritime Disputes, with PRC law governing the proceedings and Xiamen serving as the seat of arbitration.
The Maritime Silk Road Chamber of International Arbitration Promotion. [Photo provided to ftz.xm.gov.cn]
The case was successfully resolved on June 11 in the Xiamen Free Trade Zone, using a combined approach of maritime mediation and cross-Strait public interest special arbitration.
The special arbitration award was jointly issued by arbitration institutions from both sides of the Strait. This marked the first application of the Maritime Silk Road arbitration rules by an arbitration service institution in the Taiwan region and also represented the implementation of the Xiamen FTZ's public interest maritime special arbitration system in a cross-Strait case.
The initiative aims to offer replicable rules, procedures, and talent support for grassroots maritime governance and cross-Strait dispute resolution.