The China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC) will set up an arbitration centre in Hong Kong, which is the first of such centre outside the Mainland, to provide arbitration services for international maritime disputes.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice (DoJ) welcomed the establishment of the CMAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center (CMAC HK).

"Being the sole maritime arbitration institution in Mainland China, CMAC's presence in Hong Kong would further enhance Hong Kong's role in the resolution of maritime disputes, and thereby reinforce our position as a leading centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia Pacific region," the spokesman said.

The CMAC, being a permanent arbitration institution specialising in the resolution of foreign and domestic maritime disputes, was set up in 1959 under the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. It focuses on resolving maritime, admiralty and logistics disputes as well as other contractual and non-contractual disputes through arbitration. Apart from its headquarters in Beijing, CMAC has so far only established three sub-commissions in Shanghai, Chongqing and Tianjin.

The inauguration ceremony of the CMAC HK will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on November 19.

To tie in with the establishment of the centre, the DoJ, together with the CMAC, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, will organise a seminar on the same day to promote the greater use of maritime arbitration services in Hong Kong.

With the theme of "Latest Trends in Maritime Arbitration", leading speakers will share experience and strategies in preparing maritime arbitrations and analyse the effective use of arbitration to resolve maritime disputes in different places. The seminar will be a valuable opportunity for maritime service providers and users, arbitrators and lawyers to know more about the latest trends in international maritime arbitration.

Both the seminar and the inauguration ceremony are part of the Asian Logistics and Maritime Conference to be held on November 18 and 19. More information about the conference is available at the website www.almc.hk.

Ends/Sunday, November 9, 2014