Dongguan enhances foreign-related legal service system for higher-level opening-up

In recent years, Dongguan in South China's Guangdong province has made steady efforts to enhance its comprehensive, specialized, and international foreign-related legal service system to meet the demands of the city's high‑level opening‑up. With the goal of establishing itself as a new highland for foreign-related rule of law, the city has been optimizing its business environment as a signature feature, providing robust legal safeguards for local enterprises expanding abroad and for attracting foreign investment.

Refined legal services‌

As early as 2020, Dongguan took the lead within the province in establishing the first city-level lawyer team dedicated to providing foreign-related legal services including legal counseling, legal risk assessments, and overseas investment support to local foreign‑related enterprises. To improve accessibility, the team has introduced an innovative QR code-based appointment and response mechanism for legal services.

In October 2024, Dongguan set up its foreign-related legal service point inside the city's immigration service center, the first of its kind in the province housed within an immigration service center.

Foreign‑related notarization has been a key focus in the city's legal service optimization. The Dongguan Notary Office has streamlined procedures by integrating notarization and certification into a unified process, enabling one‑stop applications and efficient case handling. Moreover, the office is one of the pilot institutions for the overseas remote video notarization program launched by the Ministry of Justice.

Diversified commercial arbitration

In recent years, Dongguan has set high standards in developing international arbitration and commercial mediation institutions, building a multi‑dimensional dispute resolution framework.

As one of the first four arbitration institutions to join the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Cross-Border Commercial One-Stop Dispute Resolution Platform launched by the Guangdong High People's Court and the provincial Justice Department, the Dongguan Arbitration Commission (DGAC) has been dedicated to providing an international, professional, and differentiated platform for commercial dispute resolution. It has innovated an "arbitration + mediation" model, created the "Guanxianghua" (Dongguan Incense Flower) Mediation Room that integrates local culture, and promoted cloud arbitration, with 99 percent of cases accepted online.

In 2024, the total value of foreign-related cases accepted by the DGAC exceeded 4.6 billion yuan ($661 million), ranking seventh nationwide.

To further strengthen the city's capacity for foreign-related commercial dispute mediation, the DGAC launched a foreign-related arbitration and mediation center on Dec 29, 2025. Dongguan, as a major foreign trade hub with a robust export-oriented economy, has substantial demand for commercial dispute resolution. Deepening expertise in commercial mediation will support the city's drive toward high‑level opening‑up.

Systematic talent cultivation

Recently, China University of Political Science and Law, together with the Dongguan Intermediate People's Court and the DGAC, conducted a survey on jointly advancing foreign-related rule of law in the GBA. The study explored ways to integrate academic resources from universities with practical judicial and arbitration resources to foster synergy in foreign‑related rule of law development.

Cooperation between universities and institutions is an important pathway for Dongguan to cultivate foreign‑related legal professionals. To solidify the talent foundation, the city has launched a series of training programs, including jointly establishing innovation classes for foreign‑related legal professionals in collaboration with local universities.

Dongguan has integrated the cultivation of foreign‑related legal talent into its broader talent development strategy. The city has formed a foreign‑related legal workforce of over 300 professionals, including lawyers, notaries, and arbitrators, creating a sizable and well‑structured talent pipeline.

Currently, eight law firms in Dongguan have been included in the Guangdong Provincial Foreign‑Related Law Firm Pool, 218 lawyers have been selected for the provincial foreign‑related lawyers talent pool, and two lawyers have been recognized as national leading foreign-related lawyers.

The DGAC has built an arbitrator team of 815 domestic and international arbitrators, while the city's notary offices have 44 notaries qualified for foreign‑related notary services. In addition, the Dongguan Commercial Mediation Center has 177 mediators who have successfully resolved over 230 foreign‑related disputes.

As Dongguan places greater emphasis on strengthening foreign-related rule of law, these initiatives serve as a cornerstone for supporting the city's high-level opening-up. Moving forward, Dongguan will continue to advance its foreign-related legal system and capacity, gathering momentum to empower a new stage of higher‑level opening‑up.