From August 23 to 26, the 2026 International Commercial Arbitration Forum & Arbitration Training, hosted by the Guangxi Tongwang Institute for Applied Jurisprudence and supported by Guangxi Tongwang Law Firm, was successfully held in Nanning, Guangxi. The event’s theme was “Heading Toward ASEAN: Resolving International Commercial Disputes for Chinese Enterprises Going Global,”focusing on cutting-edge practices in cross-border commercial dispute resolution between China and ASEAN. It provided a platform for in-depth dialogue among legal practitioners from China and abroad, thereby supporting economic and trade exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative and offering professional rule-of-law support for Chinese enterprises expanding into ASEAN markets.

This event was jointly initiated by the Asian International Arbitration Center (AIAC), the China-ASEAN Commercial Arbitration Cooperation Center, the Belt and Road International Legal Services Association Nanning Center, and the China-ASEAN Law Research Center of Guangxi University of Finance and Economics. It was co-hosted by the Guangxi Arbitration Association, the Guangxi Lawyers Association, and the Civil Law Research Society of the Guangxi Law Society, and organized by the Guangxi Tongwang Institute for Applied Jurisprudence. The event was supported jointly by Guangxi Tongwang Law Firm and Guangxi Xinhua Law Firm. The gathering brought together heads of arbitration institutions, senior arbitrators, lawyers specializing in international matters, and university-based legal scholars, including those from China, Malaysia, Australia, and other countries.

Participants included practicing lawyers from across China and Malaysia, associate professors and lecturers from universities, doctoral and master’s students, and corporate legal professionals. All parties focused their discussions on hot topics such as institutional evolution, application of arbitration rules, enforcement of cross-border awards, and the role of artificial intelligence in empowering arbitration.

▲International Commercial Arbitration Forum

On August 23, the International Commercial Arbitration Forum kicked off at the Banquet Hall of the Renaissance Hotel in Nanning. The forum was themed “Modernising Arbitration: Dialogue on Legal Innovation in China and ASEAN Practices.” At the opening ceremony, Wang Junhang, Director of the Public Legal Services Management Division of the Department of Justice of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Ms. Raagini Sama Sundaram, Senior Case Counsel of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC); and Nong Xuan, Vice President of the Guangxi Lawyers Association, delivered speeches. Datuk Danesh Chandran, CEO of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), delivered a video address. All parties fully recognized Guangxi’s geographical advantages in facing ASEAN and proposed continuing to improve the China-ASEAN commercial dispute resolution mechanism, strengthening cross-border legal service cooperation, and supporting high-quality economic and trade development in the region.

▲ Remarks by Wang Junhang, Director of the Public Legal Services Management Division of the Department of Justice of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

▲ Video address by Datuk Danesh Chandran, CEO of the AIAC.

▲ Remarks by Ms. Raagini Sama Sundaram, Senior Case Counsel of the AIAC.

▲Remarks by Nong Xuan, Vice President of the Guangxi Lawyers Association.

During the academic seminar, numerous Chinese and foreign guests delivered keynote presentations. Datuk Joy Appukuttan, a prominent senior Malaysian barrister-at-law, arbitrator, and mediator, focused onArbitration Post Litigation, analyzing the challenges in coordinating cross-border dispute resolution procedures. Mr. Ooi Huey Miin, partner at Raja, Darryl & Loh Law Firm in Malaysia and the former president of the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators, highlighted the cultivation and development of arbitration venues, sharing her experiences in building arbitration centers in Southeast Asia. Zuo Shiyi, Director of the Foreign-related Committee of the Guangxi Arbitration Association and Director of the Case Filing Department of the Nanning Arbitration Commission (Registrar), introduced the practical experience in establishing the China-ASEAN Commercial Arbitration Cooperation Center, its operational practices, and future development directions. Professor Feng Gui from Guangxi University of Finance and Economics and head of the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center, discussed the development of AI in ASEAN law and the application of AI technologies in China-ASEAN international commercial arbitration.

▲ Datuk Joy Appukuttan, a prominent senior Malaysian barrister-at-law, arbitrator, and mediator, delivers an academic speech.

▲ Mr. Ooi Huey Miin, partner at Raja, Darryl & Loh Law Firm in Malaysia and the former president of the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators, delivers an academic

speech.

▲ Zuo Shiyi, Director of the Foreign-related Committee of the Guangxi Arbitration Association and Director of the Case Filing Department of the Nanning Arbitration Commission (Registrar), delivers an academic speech.

▲ Professor Feng Gui, from Guangxi University of Finance and Economics and Director of the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center, delivers an academic speech.

The subsequent Panel Discussion, titled “Emerging Market of China-ASEAN International Commercial Dispute Resolution,” was chaired by Professor Feng Gui and featured the participation of five practicing experts from Malaysia, Australia, and China. Drawing on the current regional economic and trade landscape, the panelists assessed the development opportunities in the China-ASEAN commercial dispute resolution market. They exchanged views on topics including cooperation among arbitration institutions, cultivation of legal talent, corporate risk prevention, and innovation in cross-border legal service products, offering valuable insights and recommendations for building a more mature regional dispute-resolution ecosystem.

▲ Panel Discussion

▲ Group photo of all forum guests

International Commercial Arbitration Training

On August 24 and 26, a training program on international commercial arbitration was launched at the China-ASEAN Economic and Trade Center. The training course closely addressed the practical challenges in cross-border arbitration, offering nine specialized modules. It featured instructors from Malaysia, Australia, and China—leading arbitration experts and university scholars—who covered key topics including Arbitration Laws in Malaysia, the UNCITRAL Model Law, the AIAC Arbitration Rules 2026, international arbitration notices and enforcement, arbitration integrity,Skills for Lawyers Handling Arbitration Cases, emerging trends in international arbitration, the development of China's Seat of Arbitration Regime,AI in

International Arbitration, and strategies for Cross-Border Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards. This comprehensive curriculum integrated “foreign rules + local practice + cutting-edge technology + practical implementation.” Nearly forty participants from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shanxi, Gansu, and Kuala Lumpur attended the training together. The participant group included practicing Chinese lawyers, Malaysian lawyers, associate professors and lecturers from universities, doctoral and master’s students, and in-house corporate legal professionals. Upon completion of the training, the organizers awarded certificates of completion to participants who had successfully finished all course modules.

▲ Group photo of instructors and students from the training course

▲ Scene from the training event

▲ Ms. Raagini Sama Sundaram, Senior Case Counsel of the AIAC, provided an overview of the training program during the opening session.

▲ Mr. Ooi Huey Miin, partner at Raja, Darryl & Loh Law Firm in Malaysia and the former president of the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators, presented on “Introduction to Arbitration Laws in Malaysia (Arbitration Act 2005 & UNCITRAL Model Law).”

▲ Ms. Raagini Sama Sundaram, Senior Case Counsel of the AIAC, presented on “AIAC Arbitration Rules 2026 and Arbitration Procedures.”

▲ Ms. Janice Tay, Head of the International Arbitration Team and the Construction & Engineering Team at Wong & Partners Law Firm in Malaysia, presented on“From Notice to Enforcement: International Arbitration in Practice.”

▲ Datuk Joy Appukuttan, a prominent senior Malaysian barrister-at-law, arbitrator, and mediator, presented on “Integrity of Arbitration.”

▲ Ms. Foo Joon Liang, Partner of Gan Partnership and Senior Arbitrator, presented on “Skills for Lawyers Handling Arbitration Cases.”

▲ Ms. Kamilah Kasim, Member of the AIAC Court of Arbitration, presented on “Emerging Trends in International Arbitration.”

▲ Dr. Zhang Yajun presented on “China's Seat of Arbitration Regime.”

▲ Mr. Nolan Qin, Australian lawyer, presented on “AI in International Arbitration: Three Guidelines, Three Perspectives.”

▲ Professor Jiang Decui presented on “Cross-Border Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards: From ‘Victory in Arbitration’ to ‘Actual Recovery’.”

▲ Huang Duheng, President of the Guangxi Arbitration Association, and Datuk Joy Appukuttan presented training certificates to the participants on behalf of the organizing bodies.

In recent years, Guangxi Tongwang Institute for Applied Jurisprudence and Guangxi Tongwang Law Firm have been committed to building legal research capabilities, service capacities, and a service network oriented toward ASEAN, further enhancing their cross-border service capabilities through international arbitration exchanges. Since the beginning of 2025, Feng Gui, Vice Chairman of Tongwang Institute for Applied Jurisprudence, and Liu Shaowei, Director of Tongwang’s ASEAN Special Committee, have traveled multiple times to Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Hanoi, and other locations to participate in international arbitration business exchanges and training sessions. They visited the Asian International Arbitration Centre in Kuala Lumpur six times since 2025, holding numerous rounds of exchanges with the Centre’s President, CEO, other senior executives, and arbitrators, ultimately facilitating the AIAC’s first-ever hosting of an international arbitration forum and training event in Guangxi. During the forum, Datuk Danesh, the newly appointed CEO of the AIAC, expressed his gratitude in a video address to Mr.Feng,Mr.Liu, and Datuk Joy for their efforts in making this event possible.