一 | 新加坡公约周于8月26日至30日在香格里拉酒店隆重举行，其中，新加坡国际仲裁中心（SIAC 简称新仲）的研讨会作为核心活动，吸引了全球仲裁界的精英汇聚一堂。近年来，新加坡国际仲裁中心成功吸引众多外国律所纷纷在新加坡设立分支机构，并在三年前与伦敦并驾齐驱，成为全球仲裁用户的首选地，这一成就标志着新仲的重要地位。自1991年成立以来，新仲凭借其全球布局和创新措施，显著提高了其在国际舞台上的影响力和用户的信任度，成为亚太乃至全球最受欢迎的仲裁机构之一。
An animated picture features Chinese law enforcement official tracking back a fugitive who flees overseas with his ill-gotten asset during the Skynet operations, China's project to track down fugitives. Photo:VCG
Chinese lawmakers began reviewing a draft law on combating cross-border corruption on Tuesday, a legislation which experts believe would help close legal gaps in investigating overseas corruption, pursuing fugitives and recovering illicit assets, while strengthening international cooperation and corporate compliance.
The draft was submitted for its first reading to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, per Xinhua News Agency.
Huo Zhengxin, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times that the draft law represents a dedicated piece of legislation within China's anti-corruption legal framework and a major step forward in the country's law-based governance of foreign-related affairs. It will fill a legislative gap in combating cross-border corruption, Huo said.
As Chinese companies expand business overseas, cross-border corruption cases face challenges in obtaining evidence abroad, pursuing fugitives and recovering illicit assets. Existing anti-corruption laws have faced limitations in addressing such cases involving foreign affairs, making such dedicated legislation necessary, Huo said.
Structured into six chapters and 47 articles, the draft sets out the principles, scope and key provisions underpinning China's efforts to combat cross-border corruption. It also defines relevant operational mechanisms and institutional responsibilities, and seeks to strengthen case handling and international cooperation.
The draft further clarifies enterprises' obligations regarding integrity and compliance, and specifies legal liabilities for violations.
As one of the experts involved in drafting the legislation, Huo said a key innovation of the draft is to strengthen international cooperation and corporate integrity and compliance obligations. As evidence, suspects and illicit assets in cross-border corruption cases are often located overseas, the draft provides mechanisms including extradition, mutual legal assistance and repatriation, while aligning with relevant rules under the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), said the expert.
The draft also makes clear that Chinese companies operating overseas, including both state-owned and private enterprises, have legal obligations to uphold integrity and compliance with domestic laws, Huo said.
The legislation would also codify practices accumulated through China's past campaigns against cross-border corruption, such as Sky Net and Fox Hunt operations, turning them into a more systematic legal framework and strengthening the law's deterrent effect, according to Huo.
The draft law is a practical step to regulate the development of cross-border businesses and help build a world-class business environment aligned with market principles, the rule of law and international standards, Xinhua noted.
It is also expected to expand the legal tools available to combat cross-border corruption and help address challenges in detecting corruption, collecting evidence, recovering illicit assets and securing convictions, according to the report.
In January, CCTV News reported on the case of a former senior executive of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, who was accused of accepting large amounts of bribes that were concealed overseas, with a businessman allegedly acting as a "front" to collect the illicit payments.
The draft's explicit corporate integrity and compliance requirements would make it harder for individuals to disguise bribery and other corrupt practices through overseas projects in an attempt to circumvent domestic oversight, while further clarifying the extraterritorial reach of China's anti-corruption laws, Huo said.
The draft also contains provisions to counter the use of foreign countries' domestic anti-corruption laws to exercise "long-arm jurisdiction" over Chinese companies, which Huo described as another important innovation in China's foreign-related legal framework.
China has been deepening its efforts in international anti-corruption cooperation, with 963 corrupt fugitives repatriated to the country in 2025, according to a work report from the country's top anti-graft body, Xinhua reported.
。其首席执行官林美恩指出，新仲在孟买、首尔、上海、古吉拉特邦国际金融科技城和纽约等地设立了海外办事处，这些办事处拉近了与用户的距离，加深了与国际仲裁和商业社区的联系。
新仲的案件量从2013年的259起飙升至2023年的663起，增长了超过150%。林美恩表示，新仲在多个关键市场广受欢迎,过去十年，中国、印度和美国是新仲的主要外国用户，而东盟国家如马来西亚、印度尼西亚、越南、泰国和菲律宾也频繁位列前十。图源：FACEBOOK去年8月，新加坡内政部长兼律政部长尚穆根在新仲的研讨会上强调，无论在何种不稳定或紧张局势下，新加坡政府都将全力支持仲裁业，通过修订仲裁法规和不断进步，确保新加坡作为国际仲裁地的吸引力。新仲在纽约设立的海外办事处是其首次在亚洲以外的布局，自成立以来，吸引了众多拉丁美洲新用户，并持续处理涉及美国当事人的案件，甚至包括那些与新加坡或亚洲无直接关联的案件。在2023年受理的新案件中，97%是仲裁案件，93%为国际案件，涉及来自66个司法管辖区的当事人，总争议金额高达119亿美元，平均争议金额为4925万元。
新加坡国际调解中心与中国对外承包工程商会在新加坡公约周期间签署了一份谅解备忘录，旨在加强处理跨境商业纠纷的调解工作，并推广这种促进和谐与双赢的争议解决方式。新加坡国际调解中心主席、资深律师林长仁在8月28日指出，与中国商会的合作将开启更多机遇，有助于进一步普及调解服务。林长仁指出，中心曾在一项与中国机场建设项目相关的纠纷中成功担任调解角色，调解不仅效率高、成本低，还能避免双方公开对峙，维护良好关系，并为继续合作留下空间，同时保护企业声誉。他强调，新加坡在国际上的声望和对中西方文化的理解，使其成为亚洲和欧美企业间纠纷的理想中立调解地。
三 | 中国对外承包工程商会副会长辛修明提到，这是商会首次与海外调解机构签署谅解备忘录，期待继续与调解中心保持愉快的合作关系，并进一步发展。他指出，调解服务的目标与中国所提倡的共享机遇、共同发展理念不谋而合。“与仲裁追求的法律正义不同，调解更侧重于寻求共同利益，这与当前商业合作的大环境和大趋势更加契合。”自2014年成立以来，新加坡国际调解中心已成功调解了超过430起纠纷，涉及61个司法管辖区，总金额近180亿美元。新加坡内政部长兼律政部长尚穆根强调，过去十年中，新加坡作为亚洲调解中心的地位得到了巩固，这有助于新加坡与多个合作伙伴共同合作。
