Int'l cooperation, IT key to better arbitration

China has turned to information technology and international cooperation to meet the increasing demand for arbitration in legal disputes, which is partly driven by the country's continued opening-up, according to the Ministry of Justice.

In 2018, more than 540,000 arbitration cases involving 695 billion yuan ($103 billion) were handled nationwide, the ministry said. That was up by 127 percent from the previous year.

The increase is partly driven by the adoption of online arbitration systems, which has greatly increased efficiency, according to Shi Hai, chief of the arbitration division of the ministry's Public Legal Service Bureau.