A delegation of more than 20 judges from the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts (SIFoCC) visited the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (also known as the Greater Bay Area International Arbitration Center and the South China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, hereinafter referred to as the "SCIA") on 15 September 2026.

They met with Liu Xiaochun, Vice Chairman of the SCIA Council and President of the SCIA, and Anthony Neoh SC, Vice Chairman of the SCIA Council and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the South China International Arbitration Center (Hong Kong) (SCIAHK).

SIFoCC aims to promote judicial cooperation among different jurisdictions, with members covering commercial courts in more than 70 jurisdictions worldwide.

At the SCIA Tower in Qianhai, Shenzhen, the SIFoCC delegation toured the international arbitration hearing area and the international institutional cooperation area. They gained a comprehensive understanding of the innovative development of international arbitration in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone since China's reform and opening up. The delegation also noted the unique role of SCIA and SCIAHK within the "Two Cities, Two Institutions" framework in harmonizing rules and mechanisms across different jurisdictions.

Notable guests included Sir Geoffrey Vos, Chair of the SIFoCC Steering Group, Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice in England and Wales; Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, President of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, and Former Chief Justice of England and Wales; Sir William Blair, Qatar International Court judge, Former Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court of England and Wales, and Member of the SCIA Council; Jonathan Harris, President of Hong Kong's Competition Tribunal and High Court Judge of Hong Kong; Nallini Pathmanathan, Former Federal Court judge of Malaysia; Sir Robin Knowles, Judge of the High Court of England and Wales, with day-to-day responsibility for SIFoCC; Shen Hongyu, President of the Fourth Civil Adjudication Tribunal of the Supreme People's Court of China, the first Chinese judge on the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization; and Philip Jeyaretnam, President of the Singapore International Commercial Court.

Huang Zhijian, Vice President of the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, An Xin, Vice President of the SCIA, and Huang Guoyong, Assistant President and Director of the International Cooperation and Development Department of the SCIA, accompanied the exchange.