The 15th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress deliberated on the Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China (Second Review Draft Amendment) (hereinafter referred to as the "Second Review Draft" or "Draft") and published it for public consultation on April 30, 2025. Compared with the Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China (Revised Draft) (hereinafter referred to as the "First Review Draft") submitted by the State Council to the National People’s Congress last year, the Draft continues to focus on the supervision and governance of the arbitration industry and establishes a four-tier oversight system comprising internal governance of arbitration institutions, administrative guidance and supervision, self-regulation by arbitration associations, and judicial review. The Draft also introduces optimizations in procedural principles of arbitration, the concept of the "Seat of Arbitration," and the relationship between the Arbitration Law and the Civil Procedure Law. This article outlines and explains the revisions in the Draft to facilitate stakeholders in tracking legislative developments and submitting recommendations.
The key changes in the Second Review Draft are as follows.
一、完善党的领导条款。将党对“仲裁工作”的领导，调整为对“仲裁事业”的领导。党的领导事项从中观层面的仲裁工作，调整成宏观仲裁事业。
1. Strengthening Provisions on the Party Leadership. The scope of the Party’s leadership over "arbitration work" has been expanded to "arbitration undertakings," shifting from mid-level operational oversight to a macro-level strategic focus on the arbitration sector.
二、明确立法目的。明确仲裁化解“经济纠纷”，而不是化解“社会矛盾”，回归仲裁法商人自治解决商事纠纷的功能。
2. Clarifying Legislative Objectives. The purpose of arbitration is redefined as resolving "economic disputes" rather than "social conflicts," realigning the Arbitration Law with its original function of resolving commercial disputes through merchant autonomy.
三、强化当事人意思自治和仲裁诚信原则的地位。第四条增加“自愿原则”的表述，将当事人意思自治表述为自愿原则，同时调整“诚信原则”位置，形成自愿、诚信、公平、独立和一裁终局的仲裁基本原则体系。
3. Elevating Party Autonomy and the Principle of Good Faith. Article 4 introduces the "principle of voluntariness" to underscore party autonomy. The principle of good faith is repositioned to form a foundational system of arbitration principles: voluntariness, good faith, fairness, independence, and finality of awards.
四、确立行政机关登记、指导和监督仲裁工作的职权。明确司法行政机关登记管理权，授权国务院制定仲裁委员会登记管理办法，违反仲裁委员会登记管理规定的，依照有关法律、行政法规的规定处理。保留司法行政机关“依法指导、监督全国仲裁工作”的职权，将司法行政部门完善“监督管理制度”，调整为完善“相关工作制度”，同时删除司法行政机关对仲裁工作中违法行为罚款、限期停止仲裁活动、吊销登记证书的罚则具体规定。
4. Defining Administrative Authority for Registration, Guidance, and Supervision. Judicial administrative organs are granted registration and management powers over arbitration commissions, with the State Council authorized to formulate specific regulations. The authority of judicial administrative organs to "guide and supervise national arbitration work" is retained, but references to penalties (e.g., fines, suspension of arbitration activities, and revocation of registration certificates) are removed.
五、完善仲裁机构内部治理。增加仲裁机构组成人员的任期和换届的规定。增加仲裁机构信息公开，主动接受社会监督的规定。增加仲裁委员会监督组成人员、工作人员和仲裁员在仲裁活动中的违法违纪行为依法调查处理，需要追究法律责任的，及时移送有关机关予以处理的规定。
5. Enhancing Internal Governance of Arbitration Institutions. Added provisions on term limits and rotation mechanisms for members of arbitration commissions. Requirements for information disclosure and proactive acceptance of social supervision. Strengthened oversight over illegal or disciplinary conduct by members, staff, and arbitrators, with mandatory referrals to authorities for legal accountability.
六、增加中国仲裁协会的监督范围。增加中国仲裁协会对仲裁委员会“工作人员”在仲裁活动中的行为进行监督的规定。将仲裁委员会“参照”中国仲裁协会制定的示范仲裁规则，改为“可以参照”。
6. Expanding Oversight by the China Arbitration Association. The Association’s supervisory scope now includes staff members of arbitration commissions. Arbitration commissions may now "voluntarily reference" (instead of "shall reference") the Association’s model arbitration rules.
七、完善并凸显仲裁员制度。第二章标题“仲裁委员会和仲裁协会”，改为“仲裁委员会、仲裁员和仲裁协会”，将仲裁员相关条文从一条扩展为三条，即仲裁员公道正派的要求、资质条件、和仲裁员名册。删除从事仲裁从业人员接受“统一职前培训”的才能获聘仲裁员的要求。本次审议稿强化仲裁员制度地位，凸显仲裁员作为裁判者的核心地位，而不仅是实施者和被管理者的从属地位，凸显仲裁的好坏取决于仲裁员的价值判断。
7. Elevating the Role of Arbitrators. Chapter 2 is retitled "Arbitration Commissions, Arbitrators, and the Arbitration Association," with arbitrator-related provisions expanded from one article to three (covering integrity, qualifications, and rosters). The requirement for "pre-service training" to become an arbitrator is abolished. Emphasizes that the quality of arbitration hinges on arbitrators’ judicial independence and expertise, shifting their role from mere implementers to core adjudicators.
八、增加人民法院支持仲裁的及时性要求。在仲裁财产保全、证据保全等司法支持仲裁事项方面，增加“人民法院应当依法及时处理”的要求，提升仲裁程序效率。
8. Requiring Timely Judicial Support for Arbitration. Courts must "promptly handle" applications for property preservation, evidence preservation, and other judicial support measures to enhance procedural efficiency.
九、完善仲裁程序。增加仲裁申请书载明当事人联系方式的要求。增加“涉及他人的商业秘密或者个人隐私”的，不能协议公开仲裁的例外。增加“单方捏造基本事实申请仲裁”的虚假仲裁情形，由仲裁庭驳回仲裁请求的规定。删除“仲裁协议无效”作为撤裁理由，维持现行法“没有仲裁协议”的审查标准。增加仲裁庭开始重新仲裁的，人民法院应当裁定终结撤销程序的规定。将人民法院依职权审查违背社会公共利益，裁定不予执行的规定，明确为法律规定。
9. Procedural Refinements. Arbitration applications must include contact information for parties. Exceptions added to public hearings for cases involving trade secrets or personal privacy. Tribunals must dismiss claims based on fabricated facts or malicious collusion. Clarifies that courts must terminate set-aside proceedings if tribunals agree to re-arbitrate.
十、完善涉外仲裁程序。明确仲裁地的法律意义，将仲裁地界定为“除当事人对仲裁程序的适用法另有约定外,仲裁地作为仲裁程序的适用法及司法管辖法院的确定依据”。完善“三特定”的临时仲裁规定，规定自贸区自贸港企业，以我国为仲裁地，在我国特定地点，由符合我国仲裁法自治的人员，进行临时仲裁。增加国家支持仲裁委员会加强与境外仲裁机构和有关国际组织的交流合作，积极参与国际仲裁规则的制定的鼓励性政策规定。
10. Improvements to Foreign-Related Arbitration. Defines the legal significance of the "seat of arbitration" as governing procedural law and jurisdictional courts unless otherwise agreed. Introduces ad hoc arbitration for enterprises in free trade zones/ports, conducted by qualified personnel under Chinese law. Encourages international cooperation and participation in shaping global arbitration rules.
十一、完善仲裁法和民事诉讼法的条文衔接关系。将现行法援引民事诉讼法关于撤销和不予执行涉外仲裁裁决的规定以及承认执行外国仲裁裁决的管辖权规定，纳入仲裁法，旨在增强仲裁法的自足性，便利各方适用仲裁法避免民事诉讼法修法条文变动，导致的援引错位的事件发生。将民诉法关于外国仲裁裁决执行管辖权等程序规定，并入仲裁法。二次审议稿关于仲裁涉外性的界定，也借鉴了与民诉法“涉外经济贸易、运输、海事纠纷”的列举性表述。
11. Harmonizing with the Civil Procedure Law. Provisions on setting aside or non- enforcement of foreign-related awards, and jurisdiction over foreign award recognition, are integrated into the Arbitration Law to enhance self-sufficiency and avoid conflicts due to future Civil Procedure Law amendments. The definition of "foreign-related" arbitration in the Second Review Draft also adopts the enumerative approach used in the Civil Procedure Law, referencing categories such as "foreign-related economic trade, transportation, and maritime disputes."
