Seventeen Measures in Six Major Directions Have Been Implemented, Marking A Comprehensive Upgrade in Shanghai Financial Arbitration

Seventeen measures in six major directions have been implemented, marking a comprehensive upgrade in Shanghai financial arbitration



Build an international financial arbitration rules system, research and formulate specialized arbitration rules for securities, futures, and offshore finance, and optimize the "Shanghai-Hong Kong arbitration + preservation" dual-city two-way support mechanism...... Shanghai Financial Arbitration has received 17 support measures.

On May 29, the Shanghai Municipal Financial Office, Municipal Bureau of Justice, Shanghai Headquarters of the People's Bank of China, Shanghai Financial Regulatory Bureau, Shanghai Securities Regulatory Bureau, and High Court jointly issued the "Measures to Further Enhance the Level of Financial Arbitration Work and Accelerate the Construction of the Shanghai International Financial Center" (hereinafter referred to as the "Working Mechanism"). According to Yicai, the purpose of this policy is to accelerate the construction of Shanghai as an international financial center, further enhance the level of financial arbitration by resolving financial disputes, maintaining transaction order, and optimizing the business environment, thereby better serving and safeguarding the construction of Shanghai.

In response, the "Work Mechanism" proposes 17 specific measures from six aspects: improving institutional mechanisms, deepening coordination, and enhancing judicial safeguards. One major highlight is the improvement of institutional mechanisms. Specific measures include: guiding arbitration institutions to build an international financial arbitration rules system, researching and formulating specialized arbitration rules for securities, futures, and offshore finance, optimizing fee and arbitrator fee management mechanisms, establishing a specialized research mechanism for financial arbitration, and improving the coordination between arbitration and mediation.

At the same time, expand the financial arbitration network. On one hand, a special financial arbitration working mechanism will be established, led by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Justice and the Municipal Financial Office, with central financial regulatory departments participating in institutions in Shanghai; On the other hand, optimize the "Shanghai-Hong Kong arbitration + preservation" dual-city two-way support mechanism.

To enhance the global influence of financial arbitration, the "Working Mechanism" requires the establishment of an international team of financial arbitrators, encouraging and guiding offshore finance, digital finance, and other related entities to choose Shanghai as the seat of arbitration, attracting more senior overseas arbitrators to participate in financial case handling and gathering more international financial legal resources.

Behind these measures, Shanghai is making financial arbitration one of the key approaches to systematically advance the upgrading of the international financial center's capabilities.

The newly revised "Shanghai Regulations on Promoting the Construction of an International Financial Center" in 2024 repeatedly mentions "arbitration," clearly proposing "establishing a one-stop non-litigation resolution and enforcement mechanism for complaints, mediation, notarization, and adjudication" and "supporting Shanghai arbitration institutions in innovating arbitration mechanisms in the financial industry."

In recent years, Shanghai has also aimed to build a preferred location for international financial dispute resolution, strengthening collaborative work and optimizing the development ecosystem of financial arbitration. Looking at the acceptance of arbitration cases over the past five years, from 2021~2025, Shanghai arbitration institutions accepted a total of 10,666 financial-related cases, with a total amount of 342.78 billion yuan, accounting for 20.1% of all cases accepted and 59.4% of the total amount during the same period, respectively. Among them, the largest single transaction exceeded 20 billion yuan, making it the preferred option for resolving large financial disputes. At the same time, cross-industry exchanges and cooperation in financial arbitration are continuously advancing, and judicial support and safeguards for financial arbitration are being continuously improved.