On the morning of Saturday, September 12, 2026, a core delegation from the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts (SIFoCC) visited Peking University Law School. Dean Guo Li and Vice Dean Dai Xin met with delegation members Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Sir William Blair, and Sir Robin Knowles. The delegation joined faculty members and students for a roundtable discussion on emerging developments in cross-border commercial dispute resolution, the training of legal professionals for foreign-related legal affairs, and challenges to the rule of law posed by emerging technologies. Prof. Lou Jianbo of Peking University Law School, lawyer Lü Sixuan, and alumnus and lawyer Zhao Yang also attended. The discussion was moderated by Dai Xin.

At the outset, Dai Xin warmly welcomed the delegation on behalf of the School. He noted that all three guests were leading figures in international commercial justice and had longstanding ties with Peking University Law School, having visited Yanyuan on numerous occasions over the past decade and more to deliver lectures and participate in exchanges. The discussion offered faculty members and students a valuable opportunity to engage directly with leading international commercial judges and gain insights into the latest developments in commercial adjudication worldwide.

In his remarks, Guo Li extended heartfelt greetings to the longstanding friends who had travelled from afar. He observed that the legal ideas presented by the three judges in their keynote remarks were thought-provoking, combining considerable theoretical significance with substantial practical value for the judiciary, while remaining closely connected to changes in the contemporary world. He encouraged students to participate actively in the discussion and draw inspiration from the exchange.

During the question-and-answer session, students actively raised questions, which the guests answered in turn, drawing on their practical experience and legal insights. Addressing broader trends, operational mechanisms, and multilateral cooperation, the three judges outlined the current state of international commercial adjudication and the values it seeks to uphold, and shared their distinctive perspectives on the development of modern international commercial justice.

Lord Thomas emphasized that the rapid development of artificial intelligence, data assets, and the digital economy was bringing unprecedented change to the global legal profession. In addressing disputes across jurisdictions, deeper cooperation among courts on substantive and procedural matters, together with a shared and enforceable approach to dispute resolution, is essential to the administration of justice in the international community today.

Sir William Blair focused on the operation of international commercial arbitration, highlighting the challenges of rising costs, lengthy proceedings, and the cross-border enforcement of arbitral awards. He also discussed judicial oversight of arbitration agreements and the need to balance legality and the public interest in investment arbitration involving different countries as global economic conditions evolve.

Sir Robin Knowles elaborated on the important role of SIFoCC as an international platform connecting commercial courts in more than 70 jurisdictions worldwide. He highlighted three practical initiatives: roundtable discussions involving all participating judges, the international Judicial Observation Programme, and the Multilateral Memorandum on Enforcement of Commercial Judgments for Money. He emphasized the importance of building judicial trust and transparency across jurisdictions in strengthening the authority and efficiency of international commercial justice. SIFoCC seeks to promote mutual understanding among jurisdictions worldwide, deepen international judicial exchanges, and advance the international rule of law.

The discussion provided faculty members and students at Peking University Law School with a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of SIFoCC’s work and approaches to international adjudication. It also built a bridge between academic theory and judicial practice in foreign-related legal affairs for the School’s students from around the world. Looking ahead, Peking University Law School will continue to advance academic research on foreign-related rule of law and the training of interdisciplinary legal professionals in this field, while deepening international exchanges and cooperation to contribute to the development of the international rule of law.