SIMC Concludes Specialist Mediators’ Workshop in Beijing; Empanelment Ceremony to Follow on 1 July

Wee Meng addressing the participants before the start of the workshop

The Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) successfully concluded its Specialist Mediators’ Workshop in Beijing on 17–18 May 2025, in collaboration with the Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Court (BAC/BIAC). The two-day by-invitation-only program brought together a select group of leading dispute resolution professionals, reflecting the growing interest in mediation as a core component of commercial dispute resolution in China.

Trainers are present to give guidance to participants during their break-out sessions

The workshop was led by Chuan Wee Meng, CEO of SIMC, and Eunice Chua, CEO of the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre Ltd, with support from Siddharth Jha and Serena Liu Hui of SIMC. Participants were guided through interactive modules on advanced mediation skills, cross-border dispute dynamics, and the integration of mediation into arbitration workflows.

We were heartened to receive over 70 applications for this limited-capacity workshop and were privileged to work with a final cohort of 27 outstanding professionals. This cohort included:

• Hew Kian Heong, Head of Rajah & Tann Asia’s International Arbitration, Construction & Projects practice in China
• Senior disputes partners from top Chinese law firms such as Dentons Beijing, Jun Ze Jun Law Office, and Zhong Lun Law Firm
• Senior legal counsel from major state-owned enterprises and multinationals, including the Chief Legal Counsel of Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation, Global General Counsel of Qilu Pharmaceuticals, and legal heads from China Harbor, Johnson & Johnson, ByteDance, and a former legal lead at Tesla
• A former judge, now an academic and arbitrator with the Beijing Arbitration Commission

Throughout the two days, participants demonstrated exceptional engagement and insight.

Participants get broken down into smaller groups for role-play session

As a testament to their commitment and capability, all 27 participants were formally empanelled as SIMC Specialist Mediators at a ceremony in Beijing on 1 July 2025, organised by SIMC. The Guest of Honour for the ceremony was Mr Edwin Tong SC, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Singapore. He was joined by our other Specialist Mediators from China and distinguished guests from the legal and business communities.

SIMC is committed to nurturing mediation capacity in China and sees this program as part of a broader and deepening collaboration with key partners in the region. Over the past year, SIMC has engaged in multiple initiatives in China aimed at building awareness and skillsets around mediation, including joint programs with arbitration institutions and professional bodies. This is part of SIMC’s broader China engagement strategy, reflecting our belief that mediation is best developed through collaboration, community, and capacity building.

The success of the Beijing workshop reaffirms the appetite among legal and business professionals in China for dispute resolution tools that are collaborative, time- and cost-efficient, and globally recognised. With China’s increasing openness to hybrid processes, and a growing emphasis on amicable dispute resolution across sectors, mediation is fast emerging as not just an alternative — but a strategic complement to arbitration.

As SIMC continues to expand its footprint in the region, we are excited to work with likeminded partners to support this evolution through strategic partnerships, knowledge exchange, and hands-on training.

We thank our partners at BAC/BIAC and all our participants for making this workshop a success — and look forward to deepening our ties with China’s legal and business community in the months ahead.

Congratulations to the 27 Beijing Specialist Mediators' Workshop participants!

Recognizing New Specialist Mediators

The newly empaneled mediators are:

1. BAI Yun Peng – Beijing Universal Ark International Technology and Trade Ltd      
2. CHEN Jing – Zhongjiao Le'en Education Technology
3. DONG Shi – Sunhold Law Firm (Beijing Office) (上海申浩（北京）律师事务所)
4. GUO Zhen – Universal Legal Cooperation (福建重宇合众律师事务所)
5. HEW Kian Heong – Rajah & Tann LLP
6. LI Ping – Arbitration Research Institute of China University of Political Science and Law (中国政法大学)
7. LI Bingtao – BASF ShanShan Battery Materials Co.,Ltd.
8. LI Rong – Elsevier (励德爱思唯尔信息技术（北京）有限公司)
9. LI Xiao – GfK Retail and Technology (China) 捷孚凯市场咨询(中国)有限公司
10. LI Fang – Tian Tai Law Office  (天驰君泰律师事务)
11. LIU Changying – 泰和泰（北京）律师事务所
12. LIU Siyu – DeHeng Law Offices (德恒上海律师事务所)
13. LIU Xuefei – 中国石化集团国际石油勘探开发有限公司
14. LUO Juan – Johnson&Johnson Innovative Medicine
15. Lyu Shishi – Beijing Bytedance Network Technology Co., Ltd.
16. MING Ying – 中国石化集团国际石油勘探开发有限公司
17. NAN Xing – Anjie Broad Law Firm (安杰世泽律师事务所)
18. SU Hui – Jilin GongCheng Law Firm (吉林功承律师事务所 )
19. TANG Haozhen – China Literature (阅文集团)
20. WANG Xiao – Lantai Law Firm (北京市兰台律师事务所)
21. XIE Chenxi – Zhong Lun Law Firm (中伦)       
22. YANG Hua – Jun Ze Jun Law Office (君泽君律师事务所)
23. YAO Xiaofei –  China Harbour Engineering Company（中国港湾)
24. YI Xin – Beijing Star-Net Ruijie Networks Technology (锐捷网络股份有限公司)
25. YUAN Jing – Qilu Pharmaceutical Group (齐鲁制药集团)
26. ZHANG Quan – 中国石化集团国际石油勘探开发有限公司
27. ZHAO Xue – Dentons Beijing (北京大成）