From 27 to 30 September 2026, a delegation from the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) visited Madrid, the capital of Spain, at the invitation of the GAR Live: Civil Law Summit 2026.
As the only representative of an arbitration institution from China, the delegation shared the latest developments in China's international arbitration and SCIA's innovative practices with attendees, and conducted a series of exchange visits to deepen China-Spain cooperation in international arbitration.
This year's event was held at the Palacio de Santoña in Madrid, bringing together arbitration experts from civil law and common law jurisdictions, including Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Congo, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Together, they explored key topics such as the reform of civil law arbitration systems, the comparison and selection of arbitral seats, and the convergence of different legal systems in a changing global landscape.
Chi Wenhui, Deputy Director of the China (Shenzhen) Intellectual Property Arbitration Center, attended the summit on behalf of the SCIA and delivered remarks in the session "Reform in motion: reshaping arbitration frameworks". Drawing on China's newly revised Arbitration Law and the practice of the SCIA and the South China International Arbitration Center (HK) (SCIAHK) under the "Two Cities, Two Institutions" framework, which is rooted in both the civil law and common law systems, she shared insights into China's innovative development in arbitration.
Chi Wenhui, Deputy Director of the China (Shenzhen) Intellectual Property Arbitration Center, delivered remarks at the summit.
The SCIA delegation met with SCIA's Spanish arbitrators, J. Félix de Luis and Miguel Virgós, at the summit.
During the visit to Spain, the SCIA delegation was also invited to visit the Corte de Arbitraje de Madrid (CAM) and the Centro Internacional e Iberoamericano de Arbitraje de Madrid (CIIAM); the Madrid Bar Association (ICAM) and its affiliated Corte de Arbitraje del ICAM; the intellectual property law firm PONS IP and the PONS Foundation; and White & Case LLP.
The delegation also met with several of SCIA's Spanish arbitrators, including J. Félix de Luis, Miguel Virgós, José María Beneyto, José Carlos Erdozain, and Francisco Málaga, engaging in in-depth discussions on the development of and cooperation in China-Spain international arbitration.
SCIA has long enjoyed friendly cooperation with the Spanish arbitration community through exchanges with institutions such as the CAM, the ICAM, and the Club Español del Arbitraje (CEA), and co-hosted events such as Spanish Arbitration Day and the Latin American Arbitration Day.
The new SCIA Panel of Arbitrators, which took effect in February 2025, includes 10 Spanish arbitrators covering diverse professional fields such as international trade, intellectual property, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and maritime and admiralty matters, providing Chinese and foreign parties with more diverse, professional, and convenient options for dispute resolution at the SCIA.
In the future, SCIA will continue to use international arbitration cooperation as a bridge, continuously enhancing its arbitration services and facilitating economic and trade exchanges between China, Spain, and Latin America.
