Following are the closing remarks by the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, at the awards and closing ceremony of the Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot (FDI Moot) 2026 Globals in Shenzhen today (October 27):
 
Director Campbell (Founder Representative of the FDI Moot and Director of the Center for International Legal Studies, Mr Christian Campbell), President Liu (President of the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA), Dr Liu Xiaochun), Director Ng (Acting Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Ng Chi-kin), Deputy Secretary Liu (Deputy Secretary of the Leading Party Members Sub-Group and Deputy Chief Judge of the First Circuit Court of the Supreme People's Court, Mr Liu Zheng), Director Sun (Director of the Investment Law Division of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Commerce, Mr Sun Zhao), Vice Chairman Anthony Neoh (Vice Chairman of the SCIA Council, Former Chairman of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, Co-Chairman of the Asian Academy of International Law, Dr Anthony Neoh, SC), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. On behalf of the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, it is a great honour to join you all at the awards and closing ceremony of the 2026 FDI Moot Global Rounds.
 
     To all the participating teams: my warmest congratulations. Whether or not you are taking an award home today, I trust that your participation must have offered profound insights and forged lasting bonds with your peers. 
 
     The FDI Moot brings our future professionals from classroom theories to the real-world complexities of investor-state dispute settlement. The value of the FDI Moot stems from the unique opportunity it offers for students to apply what they have learned at schools to tackle as a team high-stakes issues which they will likely face when they begin practising one day. 
 
     The 2026 FDI Moot marks a truly historic milestone - this is the first time that the Global Finals are hosted in China. This tells a clear story: the Asia-Pacific region is the key forum for global dialogue on international investment law, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is developing into a vibrant hub for cross-border dispute resolution.
 
     Your experience gained from this competition could not have come timelier. In an era when cross-border investment becomes increasingly prevalent, the ability to resolve disputes fairly, efficiently and in accordance with international standards is the bedrock of global trade.
 
     Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong is uniquely placed to contribute to this ecosystem. As the only common law jurisdiction within China, and the only bilingual common law jurisdiction in the world using both Chinese and English, we serve as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" between the Chinese Mainland and the international community. The National 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly supports the deepening of Hong Kong's status as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre. This is complemented by Hong Kong's own First Five-Year Plan and the latest Policy Address, which reaffirm our commitment to strengthening arbitration, mediation and related professional services.
 
     Hong Kong's Arbitration Ordinance, based on the UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) Model Law (Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration), has underpinned Hong Kong's standing as a leading arbitral seat. In the 2025 Queen Mary University of London International Arbitration Survey, Hong Kong was ranked as the second most preferred seat of arbitration globally, and the first in the Asia-Pacific region. To ensure that our arbitration legal framework stays at the forefront of international practice, we are embarking on a project to reform arbitration law.
 
     Beyond the law itself, our practical arrangements are designed to offer unparalleled convenience for international users. Hong Kong awards are readily enforceable in the Chinese Mainland under our mutual recognition and enforcement arrangement, and parties to Hong Kong-seated arbitrations may seek interim measures directly from Mainland courts under the Interim Measures Arrangement (Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), a unique advantage that has assisted users to preserve substantial assets. In addition, Hong Kong implements the Immigration Facilitation Scheme (Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors). This allows non-Hong Kong residents participating in arbitral proceedings, including arbitrators, counsel, parties and witnesses, to enter Hong Kong for short-term participation without the need for a separate employment visa. Together with our deep pool of multilingual professionals and close institutional partnerships, Hong Kong is guaranteed a practical and reliable choice for cross-border investment disputes.
 
     I wish to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration, all arbitrators, coaches, interpreters and volunteers who have brought the Global Finals to fruition.
 
     Today marks the end of this FDI Moot journey, but your engagement with international investment law has only just begun. The discipline you have forged here, all the rigorous legal analysis, disciplined advocacy and respect for opposing perspectives, will certainly be the solid building blocks of your careers. I look forward to seeing you contribute to the ongoing evolution of the global investment-law framework, steadily and surely. Thank you very much.

Ends/Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Issued at HKT 18:42

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