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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin hosted a luncheon talk in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday (September 20, Geneva time) on dispute resolution and arbitration, presented by Ms Teresa Cheng, senior counsel, chartered engineer, chartered arbitrator and accredited mediator. Ms Cheng spoke to the Swiss audience on how disputes could be effectively resolved from the perspective of the fast growing China-trade with continental Europe. Amongst other capacities in the legal profession, she has been an arbitrator in Hong Kong, the mainland of China, London, Stockholm, Singapore, Taiwan and Dubai. Currently she is Vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Vice-president of the International Council of Commercial Arbitration, Council Member of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Committee and a Councillor of the Asia Pacific Users Council of the London Court of International Arbitration.
During the talk, Ms Teresa Cheng pointed out the many advantages that make Hong Kong an ideal place for dispute resolution: the unique "One Country, Two Systems", the rule of law and independent judiciary, free press and press flow of information, experience in both trading with the mainland and international trade, and Hong Kong's "can do" spirit. Hong Kong offers a wide range of dispute resolution processes, such as litigation, arbitration and mediation, whether the disputes arise in Hong Kong, the mainland of China or other parts of the world. In 2009, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre handled a total of 429 arbitration cases, representing a year-on-year increase of 15%. Over one third of the cases involved at least one Mainland party. In 2008, the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce opened in Hong Kong its first branch secretariat outside Paris, which has since been handling more than 140 arbitrations in Hong Kong
About 40 guests attended the luncheon talk, including representatives of international organisations like the World Trade Organization, representatives of various embassies and missions as well as guests from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and from a number of banks and other institutions.
Ends/Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Issued at HKT 00:33
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