Posted on: 4 September 2026
On September 3, at the request of the Great Britain China Centre, the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) hosted a delegation from the China Law Society at the IDRC in Paternoster Square.
The 24-strong Chinese delegation was made up of legal practitioners and academics from across the justice system in China, including several with expertise in arbitration and commercial dispute resolution, and its two-week visit aimed at exploring ‘The Global Legal Services Market and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms’.
The Chinese delegation was led by Mr Zhang Lei, Deputy Secretary-General of Shanghai Municipal Government and Vice President of the Shanghai Law Society and Ms Li Ping, Civil Prosecutorial Department of Supreme People’s Procuratorate (both pictured with LMAA Past President Ian Gaunt).
Ian Gaunt gave the delegation a presentation on London Maritime Arbitration and its relevance to maritime dispute resolution in China and an interesting discussion followed.
Ian said: “The LMAA is delighted to further strengthen its contacts with the Chinese legal profession. It was especially interesting to discuss with this high-level delegation the experience of Chinese parties in London maritime arbitration and to hear about the implementation of the new Chinese Arbitration Law. The LMAA enjoys extremely good relations with maritime professionals and academics in China and looks forward to further opportunities to cooperate. London is the preferred venue for over 80% of international maritime arbitration and an overwhelming number Chinese parties continue to choose London maritime arbitration for resolution of disputes with foreign parties. We are happy to share our experience with our Chinese friends and counterparts.”
