On May 1, 2026, Attorney Xiao Shuwei was appointed as an arbitrator by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission. The China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) is a permanent commercial arbitration institution established in 1956 with the approval of the Central People’s Government. It is affiliated with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and is currently one of the world’s top five most sought-after arbitration institutions. In this selection process, CIETAC strictly enforced entry criteria, comprehensively evaluated the qualifications of applicants, and selected arbitrators based on a comprehensive assessment of professional competence and industry influence.

Attorney Xiao Shuwei graduated from China University of Political Science and Law in 1987 with a degree in International Economic Law. That same year, he was admitted to the Ministry of Justice’s first national English training program for legal professionals specializing in foreign-related economic affairs. Upon completing his studies, he worked in foreign affairs at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice while also serving as a part-time attorney at the Beijing Foreign Economic Law Firm. During this period, he established connections with foreign judges, attorneys, and law professors, laying a solid foundation for his understanding of foreign legal systems and the development of cooperative relationships with legal professionals abroad. In 1989, he translated the *Polish Lawyers Act* and published it in *Beijing Lawyer*. In 1991, he began practicing law full-time and immediately took on cases involving foreign economic arbitration. His first case—representing a U.S. client in a dispute over an ore sales contract with a central state-owned enterprise—achieved a result that fully satisfied the client. The client praised him, stating, “I found a real lawyer in China.” Since then, he has handled numerous foreign-related economic arbitration and litigation cases, earning high praise from clients, including the BBC World Service Trust. In 1998, he was selected by the All-China Lawyers Association to work at a law firm in Hong Kong, during which time he established close professional relationships with foreign and Hong Kong lawyers. Subsequently, he collaborated with renowned firms such as the Hong Kong law firm of Schroeder, Fong, Kwong & Chan, the UK’s Reed Smith, and the French firm Kidder, Armitage & Co. These partnerships provided strong support for Attorney Xiao Shuwei’s practice in cross-border legal affairs.

In the future, Attorney Xiao Shuwei will continue to leverage his experience and expertise in cross-border legal services to contribute to the arbitration work of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC).