The Maritime Silk Road Central Legal District FTZ Pilot Zone. [Photo provided to ftz.xm.gov.cn]
New arbitration mechanisms have been introduced at the Maritime Silk Road Central Legal District FTZ Pilot Zone, featuring 21 case studies across five chapters that cover ad hoc arbitration, judicial support, arbitration agreement review, enforcement of foreign awards, and cross-Strait cooperation.
The revised arbitration law took effect on March 1, introducing ad hoc arbitration and new preservation measures. Since 2023, Xiamen has pioneered a commercial arbitration investigative order mechanism — the first of its kind in China's pilot free trade zones — streamlining court-issued evidence-gathering orders. To date, 68 orders have been issued across seven provinces, easing long-standing bottlenecks in evidence collection, asset preservation, and enforcement.
A cargo ship loaded with goods departs Xiamen Port. [Photo provided to ftz.xm.gov.cn]
Xiamen has also issued China's first provisional arbitration guide for FTZs, maritime ad hoc arbitration rules, and guidelines on property preservation in foreign-related maritime arbitration.
This year, it concluded its first maritime behavior preservation case under the new law, balancing arbitration enforcement with international comity and foreign judicial sovereignty, and providing a practical model for applying the new framework.
The revised Arbitration Law introduces the "arbitration seat" concept, which determines where a case is heard, the applicable procedural law, and the nationality of the award. Under the Maritime Silk Road Special Arbitration Rules, Xiamen is designated as the default seat, providing parties with a clear framework.
Xiamen has backed this with supporting tools — including investigative orders, preservation guidelines, arbitration agreement review, and foreign award enforcement — to strengthen judicial support for arbitration.
The latest case compilation, involving countries along the Belt and Road, helps tackle challenges in evidence, preservation, and enforcement, making Xiamen a more appealing dispute resolution hub.