Zhao Jian, formerly a vice president of the arbitration court at the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), has recently joined Zhong Lun Law Firm as a senior counsel in Beijing.
He joined CIETAC in 1994, became vice president of the arbitration court three years later and left in January 2021 to be a deputy director general of the China Chamber of International Commerce.
With almost 30 years of experience in litigation and arbitration, Zhao’s accolades include being a member of the Chinese government delegation for the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Mediation, amendments to the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration, interpretative recommendations on the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, and amendments to the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
From 2008 to 2016, he worked on the negotiation of bilateral investment agreements in China, with a focus on the design, negotiation and discussion of investment dispute settlement mechanisms.
Zhao was a key figure in the drafting of the first domestic arbitration rules for international investment disputes for specialised arbitration institutions between 2016 and 2017, filling the gap in China’s legal system.
His advocacy for expanding the validity of arbitration agreements and establishing supervision on pro-arbitration has left a significant impact on domestic arbitration and judicial practice in China.
In 2011, the State Council awarded Zhao a special government allowance in recognition of his outstanding contribution to China’s arbitration.
