Xu Fang: A role model in arbitration for the people from Anhui province

When she joined the newly-founded Hefei Arbitration Commission in East China’s Anhui province in 1988, Xu Fang, a fresh college graduate at the time, had to share a shabby office with three colleagues to handle some 20 cases each year, with people often confusing their work with labor arbitration.

Xu thought to herself then that she must handle every case as meticulously as possible to gain a reputation for her commission.

Decades later, as the commission's general secretary, she still sees quality as the lifeline of arbitration work, and examines every arbitration ruling word by word with a strong sense of responsibility.

In one case involving a 6 million yuan ($871,400) decoration contract, although the project contractor as one party to the dispute failed to present any direct evidence to support its claim, the arbitration tribunal was nonetheless ready to close the case.

Dubious about it, Xu twice convened experts to discuss the case, who suggested that the tribunal verify the key facts of the case. As it turned out, the contractor had lied to the tribunal by hiding importance evidence.

The handling of the case raised the commission' profile both at home and abroad as the case was included in China's first documentary on the country's arbitration system, which was aired on China Central Television in 2018.

Under Xu's leadership, the number of cases handled by the commission is increasing steadily every year, and the range of disputes has expanded to include not only matters involving contracts and real estate but also construction engineering and finance. 

Meanwhile, her arbitration team has grown from a small squad of four decades ago into an army of nearly 400, most of who are experts in their own fields.

Despite the significant growth in scale, Xu never takes lightly the quality of her commission's work. 

"Most of the arbitration cases involve economic disputes which relate to significant but complicated economic interests," said Xu. "An arbitration ruling can have a direct and huge impact on an enterprise, a family or even an individual."

To ensure the high-quality of the work, Xu developed a complete set of standardized workflows with her colleagues. Her handbag is always packed with files or books instead of cosmetics or other personal items.

Apart from quality, Xu also keeps a close eye on the integrity of her arbitrators. Despite the fact that around 40 arbitrators nationwide are stripped of their titles every year, arbitrators in Xu's commission have never had their integrity compromised.

Xu's enduring commitment to quality and integrity has won a range of titles for the commission and herself. The commission was awarded at a forum celebrating the 20th anniversary of China's arbitration in 2015, and Xu was appointed as a research fellow by the Southwest University of Political Science & Law in 2016. Two years later, she was invited to join a think tank under the local intermediate court.