The 2nd  International Forum on Cross-border E-Commerce Dispute Resolution 2018, co-sponsored by Hangzhou Arbitration Commission and Zhejiang University International Strategy and Law Institute, co-executed by Law School of Hong Kong University, Zhejiang University Guanghua Law School and Zhejiang University China Cross-border E-commerce Research Institute, and co-supported by ICC International Court of Arbitration, Hangzhou Cross-border E-Commerce Association and Alibaba, was held on July 20, 2018 at Hangzhou International Expo Center. The Journal of International & Comparative Law offered a feature report on the event. Zhao Liang, Deputy Secretary-General of HAC, and Li Xuanle, Deputy President of HIAC, attended the forum.

As the successor to the first Cross-Border E-Commerce and International Arbitration (Dispute Settlement) Forum 2017, the forum was the grand gathering for cross-border e-commerce companies, and is going to be a regular event. The forum, aimed to share the latest findings on cross-border e-commerce dispute resolution at home and abroad, had the presence of experts from academic, judiciary and cross-border e-business sectors giving analyses and discussions from different aspects on a fair and reasonable dispute resolution mechanism to guarantee and promote cross-border e-commerce development.

Zhao Liang, Deputy Secretary-General of HAC, Zhao Yun, Director of the Law Department of Hong Kong University, and Wang Chao, Deputy Dean of the Zhejiang University International Strategy and Law Institute, delivered their speech and  kicked off the event.

The first part of the agenda was the “Development of Digital Economy, Artificial Intelligence and International ODR”. In his presentation, Prof. Zhao Yun introduced the construction of the online dispute resolution mechanism to fit in such an age of information, and in particular laid an emphasis on the need to make full use of the Internet, strengthen international cooperation, seek government support, educate the public and promote the construction of the ODR dispute resolution platform. Zhan Wei, the Legal Affairs Director of Alibaba Group, introduced the background and problems of legal governance of cross-border e-commerce disputes. He explained the solution to the B2B and B2C disputes from the perspective of thought, technology and system and gave his own vision and expectation. Pablo SanzBayon, Professor of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Spain, introduced the global regulatory policy for the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the financial sector. In the field of asset management and credit scoring, financial institutions have adopted new artificial intelligence technology. The field has brought stability and also put higher demands on risk prevention and supervision. Jeffrey Aresty, founder of the American Bar Association's Information Services, Technology and Data Protection Committee and InternetBar.org, pondered the issue of personal identity regulation in the Internet environment and pointed out the importance of building an online identity system at the ODR judicial level. From the perspective of arbitrators, Kim Rooney, member of the International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration and the “Belt and Road” committee and Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong “Belt and Road” Electronic Dispute Resolution Center, analyzed the advantages of ODR over traditional international arbitration and its impact on traditional international arbitration. Ercan Thiessen, President of iCan and the founder of SmartSettle, introduced the hidden quotation system developed by his company to help parties reach agreements as much as possible in the dispute resolution.

The second part that focused on China's cross-border e-commerce and ODR development was chaired by Professor Wang Chao, Associate Dean of the Institute of International Strategy and Law of Zhejiang University. Zhang Junbin, President of the High Court of Zhejiang Province, and Tan Yuliang, the head of the public appraisal business of Alibaba Group, introduced the diversified solution platform for online contradictions in Zhejiang and the public review mechanism for Alibaba Group from the perspective of ODR platform construction. Li Anyu, the visiting professor at Tsinghua University, and Yueh-Hsuan Weng, professor of Tohoku University in Japan, analyzed the impact of the current dispute resolution system from the perspective of artificial intelligence technology. Chen Jian, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Arbitration Law Research Institute, Weng Guomin, professor of Zhejiang University School of Economics, and Yang Jian, President of the Institute of E-Commerce Development of the University of Shanghai, and Director of the Policy and Law Committee of the China Electronic Commerce Association, gave an analysis respectively on the development of China's ODR from the perspective of the convention or ODR proposal signed by China.

The third part of the agenda chaired by Ma Shuzhong, Dean of the China Institute of Cross-border E-commerce of Zhejiang University, focused on “Cross-border E-Commerce Development and Dispute Resolution: Business Perspective”. Xuan Lifang, Alibaba Group's global business, senior expert in international government affairs, Gao Jinjun, founder and CEO of Hangzhou Kuazhitong, Xia Qing, Vice President of Lianlian Pay and Chief Legal Officer, and Song Jian, Amazon Global Store Senior Investment Manager, shared their understanding and practices of cross-border e-commerce dispute resolution from the perspective of commercial community. Sun Libo, an official of the US Federal Small and Medium Enterprises Administration, Shang Shu, Head of the ADR of Hong Kong International Arbitration Center, B2B of the E-Commerce Research Center, and Zhang Zhouping, Director of the Cross-border E-commerce Department, and Ms. Zou Yuzheng, the researcher of Zhongchao Blockchain Technology Research Institute, presented their findings on dispute resolution from their own perspectives.

The fourth part of the agenda, i.e., “Controversy on Cross-Border E-commerce Disputes: Policy and Legal Perspectives”, was chaired by Li Xuanle, Vice President of Hangzhou International Court of Arbitration. Pan Siwei, Head of Policy Business Department of China (Hangzhou) Cross-border E-Commerce Comprehensive Experimental Zone Construction Leading Group Office, Chen Liaomin, Vice President of Xihu District People's Court, Luo Weixiong, President of Hong Kong Reconciliation Center, and Guo Yuzhong, Chief Mediator of China Internet Association Mediation Center, Zhang Xihui, Executive Deputy Director of Shenzhen Zhongxin E-Commerce Transaction Protection Promotion Center, Ma Ce, Co-Founder of Zhejiang Kenting Law Firm, Prof. Zheng Guan, researcher of Zhejiang University International Strategy and Law Institute, and other experts shared the issues on this topic from policy and legal perspective.

Prof.Wang Chao, Deputy Dean of the Institute of International Strategy and Law of Zhejiang University, made a closing speech for this forum. Wang assessed the forum was steered to addressing problems by having discussions on some dispute resolution concerns for the business, and the forum had the presence of representatives of almost all dispute resolution agencies. He believed this forum would be of help for legal and e-business community, and hoped to see everyone in the third forum next year.

(Yi Jingwen, HIAC)