Building a Diversified Dispute Resolution Mechanism for the Betterment of Global Governance

--Speech by H.E. Commissioner XIE Feng on the Opening Ceremony of the International Dispute Resolution Conference 2019 New Era of Global Collaboration

构建多元化争议解决机制 推进全球治理迈上新台阶

——驻香港公署特派员谢锋在“2019年国际争议解决研讨会：全球协作新纪元”开幕式上的演讲

尊敬的林郑月娥行政长官、罗伟雄博士、阿茜塔·科明德尔女士、叶军先生、潘兆初法官、袁国强先生，

各位来宾、各位朋友：

　　大家早上好！

　　很高兴出席今天的研讨会。我谨代表外交部驻香港特派员公署对会议的召开表示热烈祝贺！对在座各位，特别是远道而来的世界各地的朋友们表示热烈欢迎！

The Honorable Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, 

Dr. Francis Law Wai-hung,

Ms. Athita Komindr,

Mr. Ye Jun,

Mr. Justice Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor, 

Mr. Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung,

Distinguished Guests,

Dear Friends,

Good morning!

It gives me great pleasure to join you at today's conference. On behalf of the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, I wish to extend my congratulations on the convening of the conference, and my warm welcome to all of you, especially friends who have come from across the globe to Hong Kong.

　　本次研讨会的主题极具现实意义。当前，国际形势正发生深刻复杂变化。世界经济虽然继续保持增长，但受国际贸易投资低迷、单边主义、保护主义加剧等因素影响，呈现动能不足、增速放缓态势，同时不稳定性和不确定性还在上升，经贸摩擦日益增多。世界面临的和平赤字、发展赤字为我们全球治理体系改革提出了新的时代课题。国际争议解决是全球治理的重要方面，也是维护和平、促进发展的重要保障。联合国、世界贸易组织等国际机构都在积极探讨改革现有贸易投资争端解决机制。一个良好有效的争议解决机制，应该是有助于明是非、促和平、谋发展的。在争议解决问题上，中国始终以维护和平为宗旨，坚持平等相待、互商互谅，通过谈判对话解决分歧，主张国际规则由各国共同书写，维护以规则为基础的国际秩序。这也是新时代中国特色大国外交共建新型国际关系、构建人类命运共同体的重要组成部分。

The topic of the conference is highly relevant under current circumstances. The international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. The world economy continues to grow. Yet it is slowing down with a weak momentum, due to the sluggish international trade and investment and the rising unilateralism and protectionism. At the same time, destabilizing factors and uncertainties are still on the rise, and economic and trade frictions keep emerging. The world is facing deficits in peace and in development, which pose new challenges to our endeavor of reforming the global governance system. International dispute resolution is an important aspect of global governance that provides powerful safeguard for maintaining peace and promoting development. International institutions such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization are actively exploring reforms to the existing trade and investment dispute resolution mechanisms. A good and effective dispute resolution mechanism should help people tell right from wrong, and promote peace and development. On this issue, China always adheres to the purpose of maintaining peace, and seeks to resolve differences through negotiations and dialogue on the basis of equal treatment and mutual accommodation. We believe that the international rules should be jointly written by all countries, and we uphold the rules-based international order. This is also an important component of China's missions under its major country diplomacy in the new era to jointly develop a new type of international relations and build a community of shared future for the mankind.

　　本次研讨会围绕国际贸易投资探讨多元化争议解决方案，聚焦“调解”这一新兴手段，顺应了变革创新的时代潮流。“调解”是《联合国宪章》明确规定的和平解决国际争端的重要方式，并为国际社会新近通过的公约所采用。与其他对抗性较强的争议解决方式相比，调解体现了东方文化“以和为贵”、“买卖不成仁义在”的价值取向，也与中国外交谋求互利共赢，摒弃零和博弈、反对赢者通吃的理念一致。我相信，深化调解在争议解决中的作用，不但对完善国际营商环境，而且对全球治理变革都会产生积极影响。

This conference will have discussions on diversified methods of dispute settlement relating to international trade and investment, with a particular focus on "mediation", a reviving one, which is in line with the current trend of reform and innovation. Mediation is clearly stipulated in the UN Charter as an important method of peaceful settlement of international dispute. It is further regulated by a new convention adopted by the United Nations. Compared with other dispute settlement methods which have more adversarial features, mediation reflects the importance of harmony and traditional values cherished by the Eastern culture. As an old Chinese saying goes, "benevolence and righteousness endures even though business relationship breaks." Moreover, the spirit of mediation echoes China's diplomatic principle of seeking mutual benefit and win-win outcome instead of zero-sum game or "winner-takes-all". I am convinced that an enhanced role of mediation in dispute settlement will not only improve the international business environment, but also benefit the global governance reform.