Following his participation in the International Forum on the Belt and Road Legal Services in Xiamen, China, Dr. Ismail Selim, Director of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), undertook a series of high-level visits on April 1st to key legal and arbitration institutions in Xiamen and Shanghai, including the Central Legal Zone of the Higher Silk Road, the Shanghai Xuhui District Justice Bureau, and the HONGQIAO International CBD (Minhang).
In Xiamen, Dr. Selim accompanied by Mr. Guo Mingkun (Partner at Fidely (FTZ) Law Firm, engaged in in-depth discussions with senior representatives of leading institutions housed within the Central Legal Zone of the Higher Silk Road. Those included the Xiamen Arbitration Board of Arbitration, the Xiamen International Maritime Tribunal, the Xiamen International Commercial Tribunal, the Maritime Silk International Arbitration Promotion Centre, the Maritime Silk International Law & Business Integration Base, and the Representative Office of the International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Resolution Organization (Xiamen). These exchanges focused on advancing dialogue around the internationalization of arbitration practices and the evolving role of legal institutions under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Continuing his visit in Shanghai, Dr. Selim was warmly received at the Shanghai Xuhui District Justice Bureau and the HONGQIAO International CBD (Minhang). Several of these meetings were organized by Mr. Roger (Fuhua) Ni, Founding and Managing Partner of Zenith Law Firm and Corporate Global Development Secretary of the Hong Kong International Mediation Centre (HKIMC), as well as Mr. Xinghao Qi, Attorney at Law at the Zhong Yin Law Firm, and Consultant for Promotion (East Asia) at CRCICA. Discussions centered on potential future collaboration between CRCICA and leading legal institutions in Shanghai, particularly in the areas of international arbitration, legal training, and institutional capacity-building.
These visits and exchanges not only deepen channels of cooperation but also reaffirm CRCICA’s enduring commitment to fostering strategic international partnerships with leading institutions across China. This engagement is particularly timely in light of the accelerating wave of Chinese investments in Egypt and the wider region—an economic trend that is poised to reshape the legal and dispute resolution landscape, especially in the realm of international commercial arbitration.
As joint ventures and large-scale cross-border infrastructure and industrial projects continue to grow, the demand for neutral, reliable, and efficient dispute resolution mechanisms becomes increasingly critical. In this context, CRCICA is uniquely positioned to meet this rising demand, offering a well-established institutional framework and regionally adapted arbitration rules tailored to international needs.
Accordingly, CRCICA has been intensifying its strategic outreach to Chinese stakeholders through the past years, with the aim of increasing awareness of the Centre’s services, rules, and best practices. Strengthening its visibility and presence among Chinese companies and legal institutions is a key priority, aligned with CRCICA’s broader mission to support global investment flows through sound arbitration practices and trusted legal infrastructure.
