Speech by Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Tong SC, for the Launch Ceremony of the SIAC Beijing Representative Office

Mr Tang Wenhong, Vice Mayor of Beijing

Mr Yang Xiangbin, Director General of the Bureau of Public Legal Services Administration at the Ministry of Justice

Ms Cui Yang, Director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice

Mr Wu Xiaojie, Secretary of the Chaoyang District Committee of the Communist Party of China

Mr Davinder Singh SC, Chairman of SIAC Board

Ms Lucy Reed, President of SIAC Court

Ms Gloria Lim, CEO of SIAC

Friends and Colleagues

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

1.                 A very good morning to all of you. It is a real pleasure to be here to join you today on this very happy occasion for the opening of SIAC’s Beijing Representative Office.

2.                 As Mr Singh said earlier, this marks a very important milestone for SIAC – another significant step forward in the longstanding legal and commercial relationship between Singapore and China.

3.                 Ten years ago, SIAC established its first representative office in China, in Shanghai. That step reflected both the growing importance of Chinese parties in international arbitration, as well as SIAC’s intention to engage more closely with Chinese businesses, Chinese institutions, and also the growing thought leadership of Chinese legal practitioners.

4.                 Over the past decade, those ties have deepened considerably. Chinese parties are now among SIAC’s most important users. At the same time, Chinese arbitrators and practitioners have also become an increasingly integral part of the SIAC community, contributing actively on its Board, its Court, panel, user councils, including the YSIAC.

5.                 Today, as we celebrate the opening of SIAC’s Beijing office, we are not just marking an expansion of SIAC’s presence in China, but really signifying a deepening connection with and in China.

China’s Growing Global Commercial Presence

6.                 China’s trade and commercial footprint has become increasingly globalised. In 2025, China recorded a record trade surplus of nearly US$1.2 trillion, with exports to ASEAN growing by 13.4% and exports to Africa growing by 25.8%.

7.                 This rapidly expanding trade footprint has been accompanied by a significant rise in outward investments. In 2025, China’s outbound direct investments reached US$174 billion, making it one of the world’s top sources of outbound investments and that has been so for the ninth consecutive year. Singapore was the largest recipient country in Asia for this overseas direct investment. This fact itself underscores the importance of the relationship that Singapore has with China. Indeed, Chinese enterprises have now established more than 50,000 overseas companies across 190 countries and regions, with many of them in Singapore.

8.                 At the same time, Chinese companies are playing an increasingly important role in global infrastructure and engineering projects. In 2025, the value of newly signed overseas engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts reached a record US$289 billion, with Belt and Road-related projects accounting for the vast majority of this value.

9.                 Beyond infrastructure, Chinese firms are also expanding rapidly into advanced manufacturing, into technology, and into clean energy sectors, including electric vehicles, semiconductors, data centres, logistics, telecommunications, mining, as well as renewable energy, and this is taking place right across Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe.

Singapore and SIAC’s Value Proposition

10.             In that context, and against that backdrop, as businesses expand across borders, transactions have also become naturally more complex. Cross-border projects today span not just one or two jurisdictions, but multiple jurisdictions – with different legal systems, legal nuances, regulatory frameworks, financing structures, technical standards, commercial practices, and of course language. This is especially evident in large scale infrastructure, energy and technology, as well as supply chain projects involving parties from different regions.

11.             The reality is that where there is commerce, and growing commerce at this scale, you will find that occasional disputes will arise. In such an environment, businesses will require dispute resolution mechanisms that are neutral, efficient, trusted, internationally enforceable, and also commercially practical.

12.             That is where we hope SIAC can play a useful role in providing a trusted forum for resolving cross-border disputes. With representative offices now in Beijing and Shanghai, SIAC also has a stronger on-the-ground presence right here in China, making it more accessible and closely connected to the users here.

China’s Progress in Arbitration

13.             At the same time, there is no doubt that China is emerging as an important leader in the global arbitration landscape. In recent years, its arbitration landscape has progressed significantly, in leaps and bounds. The revised Arbitration Law, which took effect on 1 March 2026, is one indicator of that. It brings domestic practice much closer to international standards, and also creates opportunities for participation by foreign institutions.

14.             These, amongst others, are very meaningful developments that reflect China’s growing sophistication as well as ambition in this field. But at the same time, this is not a zero-sum game.

15.             The growth of international arbitration in one jurisdiction does not have to come at the expense of another. On the contrary, I believe it strengthens the global ecosystem in arbitration as a whole. For businesses, it is valuable to have more trusted and viable options, especially when transactions can span multiple jurisdictions and different counterparties coming from different countries.

16.             We are therefore very glad to see China progressing and deepening their capabilities in this space. Certainly, having a more developed and interconnected arbitration landscape will benefit businesses everywhere, by offering greater choice, stronger institutions, greater confidence in cross-border commerce. All of this will help us to grow and those numbers that I spoke about earlier, especially between Singapore and China, or China and ASEAN, will continue to rise.

Role of the Beijing Office

17.             Against this backdrop, I hope that SIAC’s Beijing office will also contribute meaningfully to the vibrancy of China’s arbitration ecosystem, much as international arbitration institutions have contributed to Singapore, when they come into Singapore. We welcome Chinese arbitral institutions to establish a presence in Singapore, and we hope that one day we will be able to have a similar ceremony in Singapore.

18.             Over the years, Chinese parties and institutions have played an important role in SIAC’s and Singapore’s growth, in tandem with China’s development. We hope to reciprocate in kind.

19.             In that sense, the opening of the Beijing office is really not just about SIAC expanding its own footprint – it is also about giving back, contributing as well to China’s growing legal and dispute resolution ecosystem, deepening these very valuable institutional partnerships, and building trust and networks at the same time, as well as growing together with our Chinese counterparts and partners.

20.             I hope this office will also serve a platform for deeper engagement with Chinese enterprises, closer collaboration with the courts, arbitral institutions, universities, and legal professionals, as well as build a stronger pipeline that will see a deeper exchange of ideas and expertise between Singapore and China.

21.             Importantly, and I say this because I see a lot of young faces in the room today, I hope that it will also help nurture the next generation of arbitration talent, creating even more opportunities for Chinese arbitrators, practitioners, academics, as well as young professionals to engage with SIAC as well as with the wider international arbitration community.

22.             SIAC today has close to 60 Mainland Chinese arbitrators on their panel, and this is amongst one of the largest nationalities represented in SIAC. We hope to see even more Chinese arbitration professionals participate, contribute actively in the years ahead.

23.             Ultimately, for all that I have spoken about growth in numbers, trade, commerce, cross-border partnerships, really the strongest partnerships are not built on transactions, but they are built on trust, on mutual respect, and on a shared commitment with a single purpose to progress together. I hope therefore that the SIAC’s Beijing office will embody that spirit in the years ahead.

Conclusion

24.             As I close, let me also add my thanks to all the Chinese agencies and partners, including the Ministry of Justice, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice, as well as the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. You have given us warm support and welcome, and your support has made this milestone a reality.

25.             I wish SIAC’s Beijing Representative Office every success in the years ahead. May it serve as a meaningful bridge between us for deeper engagement, stronger partnerships, and much closer cooperation between Singapore and China.

26.             My warmest congratulations once again to SIAC on the opening of its Beijing Representative Office. Thank you very much.

Last updated on 25 May 2026