Urumqi mediation room resolves BRI disputes

A mediation room used to resolve international commercial disputes involving countries in the Belt and Road Initiative has been in operation in the Tianshan District People's Court in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The mediation room, jointly established by the court and the B&R International Commercial Mediation Center, aims to diversify resolution options and improve the quality of legal services among countries involved in the initiative.

Xinjiang has witnessed a rise of economic disputes in recent years.

"If every case is solved by litigation, the cost for both sides will be increased, and sometimes a lawsuit might not be the best way to alleviate conflicts," said Yin Jun, the court's president.

Yin said the court is the first in China's northwestern region to build such a mediation room, and services will be offered in other languages of ethnic groups.

"We'll integrate mediation resources, offering an open environment for litigants to solve disputes and also to assist in the construction of the initiative," he said.

The room's establishment was based on research and negotiations between the court and the center, "and we hope our cooperation in mediation will benefit more litigants," he added.

The center has cooperated with mediation-related institutes in more than 70 countries, including France, Spain, Sweden and Brazil, since it was built in 2016, according to a report on Ts.cn, a news portal affiliated with the regional government.

By Aug 31, the center had participated in 585 disputes, of which 65 percent were resolved successfully, it said.

"We'll work closer with the court to study how to resolve more disputes through mediation and further promote the regional development and the initiative's construction," said Wang Li, the center's director.

"China's soft power and international influence will be strengthened if we can better resolve international commercial cases," she said.

The Belt and Road Initiative, forwarded by the central leadership in 2013, includes the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.