7 Jul 2026
Recently, Mr. Junius Ho, Member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, Member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, Honorary Director of ETR LAW FIRM, and a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area lawyer, led a 37-member delegation to visit the Hainan International Arbitration Court (HIAC) for inspection, exchange, and a symposium in his capacity as the Founder and Chairman of the International Probono Legal Services Association (IPLSA). The visit aimed to jointly explore the development of foreign-related legal services and deepen legal cooperation between Hainan and Hong Kong. Mr. Wang Shuai, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HIAC, attended and presided over the symposium. Mr. Xiao Shuobin, Director of the Management Committee and Senior Partner of ETR LAW FIRM, along with Partners Mr. Qiu Zhixin, Mr. Liao Guodong, and Ms. Lyu Xiaodan, participated in the delegation.
Chairman Wang Shuai extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He pointed out that following the independent customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the market demand for internationalized and professional foreign-related dispute resolution legal services has continued to rise. The Hong Kong SAR aggregates high-quality foreign-related legal service resources and possesses rich practical experience in cross-border arbitration. Deepening legal service cooperation between Hainan and Hong Kong is not only a practical necessity to serve the construction of the Hainan FTP, but also a vital tool to promote the mutual integration of legal resources and complementary advantages between both regions. He expressed hope to take this symposium as an opportunity to strengthen communication and cooperation with IPLSA, deeply engage in the construction of the Hainan FTP, and jointly contribute to high-level opening-up and the establishment of a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment in the Hainan FTP.
Mr. Junius Ho introduced that the delegation comprised representatives from various sectors, including members of the National Committee of the CPPCC, members of the Board of Directors of IPLSA, business entrepreneurs, legal sector members, and members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. The group traveled to Hainan specifically to inspect the achievements of the independent customs operations in the Hainan FTP and to research paths for the integrated development of legal services between Hainan and Hong Kong. He noted that the arbitration industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area holds distinct advantages and extensive experience in resolving cross-border commercial disputes. Coinciding with the launch and implementation of Hong Kong's first five-year development plan covering economic, social, and legal sectors this year, IPLSA will leverage its strengths to align with the demands of foreign-related rule of law construction in the FTP. It will assist overseas enterprises in entering Hainan, understand Hainan's arbitration system, build a bridge for legal service integration among Hainan, Hong Kong, and Macao, and explore new pathways for cross-border dispute resolution cooperation alongside HIAC.
Mr. Fan Kaijie, President of the Hainan International Arbitration Court, briefly introduced the organizational evolution, institutional advantages, and international development achievements of HIAC. He stated that since its institutional reform, HIAC has consistently aligned with the development needs of the Hainan Free Trade Port, continuously improved its arbitration rules, and built a specialized team of arbitrators, resulting in a steady increase in the quality and efficiency of handling foreign-related cases. HIAC has established partnerships with several renowned international dispute resolution institutions and is fully capable of providing fair and efficient arbitration services to both domestic and international parties. He looked forward to utilizing this symposium as a bond to drive resource sharing and deep collaboration, working hand in hand to forge a new platform for foreign-related arbitration cooperation.
During the open discussion session, representatives from the infrastructure sector and legal practitioners actively shared insights. They highly commended the international construction outcomes of HIAC and consensually agreed that a well-established foreign-related dispute resolution system significantly boosts foreign investor confidence. They recommended establishing a regular exchange mechanism to continuously deepen cooperation between the organizations.
During the meeting, witnessed by representatives from both sides, Mr. Wang Shuai and Mr. Junius Ho signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on behalf of the Hainan International Arbitration Court and the International Probono Legal Services Association, respectively. The two parties will carry out pragmatic cooperation focusing on legal talent exchanges and service platform construction, injecting greater legal momentum into the construction of the Hainan FTP.
This exchange symposium has established a solid bridge for regular communication and alignment between ETR LAW FIRM and the Hainan International Arbitration Court, while broadening new strategic directions for the coordinated development of foreign-related legal services.
Taking this visit as an opportunity, ETR LAW FIRM and its lawyers will continuously enhance their professional capabilities in cross-border arbitration, litigation, and dispute resolution. They remain committed to keeping pace with the opening-up of the Hainan FTP, actively participating in the construction of foreign-related dispute resolution mechanisms, and contributing professional expertise to forge a high-level open legal business environment and promote high-quality regional legal synergy.