Xiamen and Singapore Deepen Cooperation on Maritime Governance and Arbitration

Singapore, Singapore Jun 19, 2025 – On June 17th, in response to the State Council’s “Work Plan for Accelerating the Comprehensive Pilot Program for Expanding Opening-up in the Service Industry,” the “Signing Ceremony of Tripartite Memorandum of Cooperation and Forum on Xiamen-Singapore Maritime Dispute Resolution and Management” took place successfully in Xiamen.

Xiamen and Singapore are geographically close, culturally similar, and enjoy strong cooperation. Singapore, a vital point on the Maritime Silk Road, has long been a leader in global maritime arbitration and port management. The State Council’s “Work Plan for Accelerating the Comprehensive Pilot Program for Expanding Opening-up in the Service Industry” has designated Xiamen as a new pilot city. The plan emphasizes strengthening legal protections and managing foreign-related legal matters in areas like foreign-related arbitration, legal practice, international judicial cooperation, labor protection, and talent development. It encourages businesses in pilot free trade zones (ports) to agree on arbitrating foreign-related disputes at specific locations, under agreed rules, and by designated personnel. It also supports foreign arbitration institutions in collaborating with local ones in designated areas to jointly provide cross-border arbitration services.

Given this context, the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) has partnered with the Management Committee of the Xiamen Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the Maritime Silk Road International Arbitration Promotion Center. The three parties have signed a strategic cooperation memorandum, establishing the principles of “mutual benefit and win-win, resource sharing, and mechanism innovation” to comprehensively promote the internationalization of the maritime dispute resolution system.

Ms. Foo Li Theng, Deputy Director of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and her delegation discussed Singapore’s shipping development and policies with the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration, aiming to enhance maritime trade and regional cooperation. Ms. Yang Shuyi, Executive Director of SCMA, highlighted that this collaboration represents a significant milestone in the partnership between SCMA and the Xiamen Free Trade Zone. It will provide Chinese enterprises with more efficient, neutral, and high-quality legal support for dispute resolution as they participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xiamen is reportedly accelerating its pilot program for expanding opening-up in the service industry, increasing efforts to attract international arbitration institutions for exchanges and cooperation, and becoming a preferred location for foreign-related commercial and maritime dispute resolution. In March, Xiamen approved the establishment of the Maritime Silk Road International Arbitration Promotion Center to improve its international arbitration exchange and cooperation capabilities. The cooperation with SCMA will strengthen regional collaboration between Xiamen and Singapore in maritime arbitration, offering diverse options for businesses worldwide.

The Management Committee of Xiamen Area in China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA), and the Maritime Silk Road International Arbitration Promotion Center signed the “Tripartite Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation.” Guided by the principles of “mutual benefit and win-win, resource sharing, and mechanism innovation,” the three parties will focus on deep cooperation in aligning international maritime arbitration rules, facilitating cross-border dispute resolution, and cultivating talent in shipping and ESG. They agreed to enhance the internationalization and professionalization of maritime arbitration and the shipping rule of law between Xiamen and Singapore, creating an arbitration service network extending throughout the Maritime Silk Road. The cooperation agreement includes establishing a joint arbitration promotion platform to advance both ad hoc and institutional arbitration, providing businesses with more flexible and efficient solutions for cross-border dispute resolution.

During the Forum, discussions centered on “Challenges and Opportunities in International Maritime Arbitration.” Ms. Foo Li Theng, Deputy Director of the International Maritime Centre at Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority, shared insights into Singapore’s maritime management. Ms. Jane Hu Wen Zhen, Business Development Manager at SCMA, presented “Dispute Resolution Solutions in the International Maritime and Trade Sectors”. Mr. Lin Jianliang, a member of the SCMA Advisory Board, focused on innovations in international maritime arbitration practices and analyzed the application strategies of SCMA rules. Dr. An Shouzhi, Co-founder of the Maritime Silk Road International Arbitration Promotion Center, introduced “Development and Cooperation in Maritime Silk Road International Maritime Arbitration”.

The event was jointly organized by the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) and the Xiamen Maritime Silk Road International Arbitration Promotion Center, with support from over 20 domestic and international organizations, including the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore(MPA), the Maritime Silk Road Central Legal District Free Trade Pilot Area, the Xiamen Chamber of International Commerce, the Xiamen Free Trade Zone and Special Customs Supervision Area Association, the Xiamen Arbitration Commission, the International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (Xiamen), the CMAC Maritime Silk Road Arbitration Center, and various professional committees of the Xiamen Lawyers Association including those for Arbitration and Mediation, Foreign Affairs, and Maritime and Admiralty Law.

In the context of the deep integration of global industrial chains and evolving international legal frameworks, this collaboration between Xiamen and Singapore contributes to creating a high-level foreign-related legal business environment and provides strong arbitration and legal safeguard support for the joint construction of the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road.