COVID-19 and Dispute Resolution in China: Trends in Arbitration and Litigation

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping the landscape of Chinese dispute resolution. The aim of this article is to outline China's various approaches to such development in times of global pandemic. The article primarily examines the features of online arbitration in China with a special focus on the significance of party autonomy and the authority of the tribunal in handling virtual hearings. This trend prompts the question as to whether virtual hearings and the use of digital technology ensure the protection of data and privacy. Further, the article analyses the impacts of online dispute resolution on litigation and different sets of new rules adopted in China to handle online hearings. It concludes that China successfully addressed most of the raised questions in terms of data and privacy protection, and that the processes through which dispute resolution becomes increasingly digitalised seems to be an irreversible trend that warrants further research into its consequences.