Hongqiao launches pioneering legal hub

The first batch of institutions signed agreements on January 12 to settle in the newly established Innovation Zone of the Hongqiao International Central Legal Services District.

At the event, five pillar institutions, namely East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL), Shanghai International Arbitration Center, the District People's Court, Changning Notary Public Office, and the District People's Mediation Association, signed cooperation agreements with the New Changning Group.

The innovation zone aims to become a hub for international legal services, a preferred destination for aviation dispute resolution, a source of legal technology innovation, a benchmark for international rule-of-law research, and a prime location for cultivating legal talent. It seeks to synergistically advance the development of Changning's section within the Hongqiao International Open Hub and continuously build a top-tier business environment characterized by market orientation, rule of law, and internationalization.

As early as May 2023, the District People's Court established the nation's first "aviation case trial station" within the court system. Together with the Aviation Dispute Mediation Center and the Shanghai International Aviation Arbitration Institute, it formed China's first one-stop platform for resolving aviation disputes. The court also collaborated with ECUPL to establish an expert think tank for one-stop aviation dispute resolution and a regular consultation mechanism for aviation disputes.

The joint entry of ECUPL, Shanghai International Arbitration Center, and the District People's Court as founding institutions will establish and improve a diversified platform for resolving aviation and low-altitude economy disputes. This platform will organically connect and coordinate theoretical research, arbitration practice, and judicial adjudication, effectively helping the innovation zone become an efficient and convenient "preferred zone" for aviation dispute resolution.

In the future, Changning District will focus on serving the national "Greater Hongqiao" strategy and the new "3+3" industrial layout. Leveraging the innovation zone, it aims to attract more top-tier law firms, multinational corporations, and international legal organizations. By providing higher-level legal services, Changning will accelerate its efforts to build itself into an international boutique district with global influence.