On February 8, 2023, the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) and the South China International Arbitration Center (HK) (SCIAHK) jointly held the first Spring Reception for international arbitration exchanges in the Hong Kong SAR after the full resumption of the travel in the Greater Bay Area after the pandemic.

The event celebrated the development and achievements of the SCIA and the SCIAHK in the field of international arbitration, heralding a new era of enhanced exchange and collaboration between Shenzhen and the Hong Kong SAR.

More than 40 in-house legal counsel, arbitrators, barristers, lawyers, and scholars from domestic and abroad participated in the on-site exchanges and sharing.

The event was presided over by Kwai Huen Wong, Council Member of the SCIA and Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SCIAHK. Anthony Neoh, SC, Vice Chairman of the SCIA Council and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SCIAHK, as well as Dr. Liu Xiaochun, President of the SCIA and Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SCIAHK, delivered keynote speeches.

They emphasized that international arbitration is a key component of "Shenzhen + Hong Kong" cooperation. As the first arbitration institution established in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region, SCIA has been at the forefront since the 1980s in appointing arbitrators from the Hong Kong SAR to resolve a significant number of cross-border commercial disputes, thereby promoting long-term stability in economic and trade relations between the two regions. Throughout its development, SCIA has closely coordinated with Hong Kong SAR, pioneering the introduction of Hong Kong professionals as its council members under the legislation of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. This has fully leveraged the role of Hong Kong council members in the governance mechanism, laying a solid foundation for creating a market-oriented, rule-of-law, and international business environment for both Shenzhen and Hong Kong SAR.

Moving forward, with the joint support of the legal and business communities in the GBA, SCIA and SCIAHK will work together to boost cooperation and provide more professional, efficient, and convenient diversified dispute resolution services for both domestic and international parties, jointly making "Shenzhen + Hong Kong" a globalized preferred place for international dispute resolution.

Kwai Huen Wong, Council Member of the SCIA and Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SCIAHK, hosted the Spring Reception.

Anthony Neoh, SC, Vice Chairman of the SCIA Council and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SCIAHK, delivered a keynote speech at the Spring Reception.

Dr. Liu Xiaochun, President of the SCIA and Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SCIAHK, delivered a keynote speech at the Spring Reception.

Yang Liangxing, Arbitrator Representative from the Hong Kong SAR, made a speech at the Spring Reception.

Group photo taken at the Spring Reception, from left to right: Liu Chunhua, Elsie Leung, Anthony Neoh and Kwai Huen Wong.

Group photos of participants during the International Arbitration Spring Reception.