On March 22, the Hainan International Arbitration Court (HIAC) visited the World Trade Center Macau Arbitration Centre (hereinafter referred to as WTC Macau Arbitration Centre). The two sides held in-depth discussions on the development of arbitration institutions, support for regional development, and future directions for cooperation. Alex Fan, President of HIAC, represented the HIAC at the event. Daniel Ao, Vice Chairman of the Directive Council and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of WTC Macau Arbitration Centre, RositaVong, Secretary-General of the Centre, and JoaquimVong, President of the Macau Legal Exchange Association, warmly received the delegation and participated in the meeting.

During the meeting, Vice Chairman Daniel Ao welcomed President Alex Fan and his delegation and provided a detailed introduction to the basic situation of WTC Macau Arbitration Centre. He stated that the Centre is one of the three major arbitration institutions in Macau, handling Commercial Arbitration, Mediation and Necessary Arbitration cases. Among these, Necessary Arbitration originates from legal provisions, requiring parties to resolve specific types of disputes through arbitration proceedings in accordance with the law. WTC Macau Arbitration Centre is legally responsible for handling Necessary Arbitration cases related to Water Infiltration in Buildings, and the arbitral awards in such cases may be appealed to the court. He expressed hope for strengthening future collaboration and cooperation with Hainan’s arbitration community to jointly promote the use of arbitration among commercial entities in both Hainan and Macau.

President Alex Fan introduced the achievements of HIAC in its internationalization and professionalization reforms, highlighting its practical exploration in areas such as international commercial arbitration and cross-border legal services, particularly the progress made since the election of the second Board of Directors. He noted that with the momentum brought by the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, Hainan’s arbitration sector is embracing unprecedented development opportunities. The arbitration institutions in Hainan and Macau have vast potential for collaboration in areas such as legal service coordination, rule alignment, and talent exchanges, pointing to a promising future. He expressed anticipation for the two sides to take this opportunity to deepen practical cooperation and jointly contribute to regional rule of law development and high-level opening-up.

Both sides agreed that Hainan and Macau share numerous synergies in terms of geographical advantages, policy environments, and legal service demands. In the future, they should further strengthen communication and collaboration, explore joint mechanisms for sharing arbitration resources, mutual learning of rules, talent exchanges, and promotion cooperation, and jointly promote the high-quality development of the arbitration sector in Hainan and Macau, providing a stronger legal guarantee for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Hainan Free Trade Port.

This exchange activity further enhanced the understanding and mutual trust between the two arbitration institutions, laying a solid foundation for deepening practical cooperation.