Among the various ways of settling business disputes in China, arbitration has become a preferred means for resolving trade and investment disputes between Chinese and foreign parties. Although promulgated as a milestone in China’s legal history, after more than two decades of practice, the Arbitration Law of the PRC is still criticized as being tainted by local standards and insufficient with respect to the protection of party and tribunal autonomy. Recent years have seen many changes in the regulatory landscape of Chinese arbitration, in particular, those led by the Chinese flagship arbitration institution, the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and Supreme People’s Court (SPC).

Dr. Gu obtained her LLB in international economic law from the East China University of Political Science and Law, MCL and SJD in international commercial arbitration from the University of Hong Kong. She was the youngest recipient of the Fulbright Award in Hong Kong and has written extensively on international arbitration. Based on her recent monograph, Arbitration in China: The Regulation of Arbitration Agreements and Practical Issues, Dr. Gu will review the legal regime for arbitration in China today, identify its promise and pitfalls, and provide a comparative framework for thinking about reform in the future.