InFebruary2015,courtsofJiangsuProvincebegantoexploretheestablishmentofacentralizedhearingmechanismforarbitrationjudicialreviewcases,collectivelycentralizingarbitrationjudicialreviewcasestoforeign-relatedcommercialcourts,optimizingtheallocationoftrialresourcesandunifyingjudicialstandards.CentralizedhearingmechanismforarbitrationjudicialreviewcasesofcourtsofJiangsuProvincecontainsthefollowingcharacteristics:First,themostcompletecentralizedhearingmechanismhasbeenestablished.CourtsofJiangsuProvincewillcentralizeallcasesofconfirmingthevalidityofarbitrationagreements,applicationsforannulmentofarbitrationawards,objectionstonon-enforcementofarbitrationawards,jurisdictionalobjectionsinvolvingarbitrationagreements,andcasesofrecognitionandenforcementofforeignarbitrationawardstoforeign-relatedcommercialcourts.Second,thetrialprocedureofarbitrationjudicialreviewcaseshasbeenstandardized.Reviewaccordingtothefirstinstanceprocedure,serveacopyofapplicationtothelitigants,andorganizethelitigantstoconductahearingofwitnesses,etc.Third,theexaminationstandardshavebeenstrictlyfollowed.Firmlyestablishthejudicialconceptofpayingequalattentiontosupportandsupervision,andearnestlysafeguardthefinalityofthearbitrationaward.Inrecentyears,nearlyhalfofthecasesreportedbytheintermediatecourtsthatisplannedtoberejected,whosearbitrationawardtoberevokedandwhosearbitrationagreementtobeconfirmedinvalidhavenotbeenapprovedbytheprovincialcourt.
V)Strengthentheteambuilding,reinforcethetalentspoolofforeign-relatedcommercialandmaritimetrialCourtsofJiangsuProvinceattachesgreatimportancetotheprofessionalconstructionofforeign-relatedcommercialjudgesandtakevariousmeasurestoimprovetheircomprehensivequalities.Frist,theconstructionofspecializedjudicialinstitutionshasbeenfortified.Atthebeginningof2019,theprovincialcourtestablishedtheNo.4CivilCourtroom,whichisresponsibleforforeign-relatedcommercialtrials,judicialreviewofarbitration,internationaljudicialassistance,etc.Intermediatepeople’scourtsin13citiesacrosstheprovincehavesetupspecialcourtstohearforeign-relatedcommercialcases,and11basiccourtswithjurisdictionoverforeign-relatedcommercialcaseshavealsosetupspecialcollegialpanelsrespectively.Second,professionaltraininghasbeenstrengthened.Inviewofthemorefrequentexchangeofjudgesintheprocessofjudicialreform,courtsofJiangsuProvincehaveconsolidatedandimprovedtheprofessionallevelofforeign-relatedcommercialtrialteamsbymeansofcaseevaluation,forumbetweenhigherandlowercourtsandspecialtraining.Theprovincialcourtalsoassignedexperiencedjudgeswithsolidtheoreticalknowledgetotheintermediatecourttoteachforeign-relatedcommercialtrialpractice,sothatthejudgesnewlyjoiningintheforeign-relatedcommercialtrialteamcanbecomefamiliarwiththebusinessassoonaspossible.Third,thetalentselectionandtrainingmechanismhasbeeninnovated.In2019,inordertobuildNanjingMaritimeCourtatahighlevel,theprovincialcourtselected24excellentjudgesandjudgeassistantsfromTheprovincialcourttogotothebrothermaritimecourtforcase-followingstudy,andalsoselectedjudgesandjudgeassistantsfromthemaritimecourtsacrossthecountry,theprovincialcourtandmaritimeadministrativeorganstoreservemaritimetrialtalentsforcourtsofJiangsuProvince.
III.NewSituationsFacedbyCourtsofJiangsuProvinceinForeign-RelatedCommercialTrials
I)Thehigh-qualitydevelopmentofanopeneconomyputsforwardnewrequirementsforforeign-relatedcommercialtrialsGeneralSecretaryXiJinpinghasgivenJiangsuthepositioningofthe“BeltandRoad”intersection.JiangsuProvincialCommitteeoftheCommunistPartyofChinamadeitclearthatwemustseizeandtakeadvantageofthegreatopportunityoftheconstructionofthe“BeltandRoad”junction,promotetheJiangsu’ssuperpositionandintegrationofnationalstrategiessuchasthe“BeltandRoad”construction,thedevelopmentoftheYangtzeRiverEconomicBeltandtheregionalintegrationoftheYangtzeRiverDelta,integratingdeeperintotheglobaleconomiccycle,andacceleratingthecultivationofnewadvantagesinopeninguptotheoutsideworld.InSeptemberthisyear,China(Jiangsu)PilotFreeTradeZonewasformallyestablished.LouQinjian,SecretaryofJiangsuProvincialCommitteeoftheCommunistPartyofChina,pointedoutthatitisbothanimportantguaranteeandanecessaryproceduretopushforwardJiangsu’sexploratorycapacity,innovativec