Qingdao advances maritime, commercial legal development to build high-level foreign-related legal ecosystem

In recent years, Qingdao in East China's Shandong province has made significant strides in maritime and commercial legal development, aiming to build a high-level ecosystem for its foreign-related legal services. By leveraging the rule of law to fuel the upgrading of the shipping industry and safeguard local enterprises engaged in cross-border operations, the city has laid a solid legal foundation for its vision of becoming a world-class sea port.

With superior port resources and a robust shipping industrial chain, Qingdao regards the development of maritime and commercial legal services as a key move to enhance its international competitiveness. The city has built and operated the Qingdao Central Legal District with high standards, forming a comprehensive legal service framework that integrates four legal districts and one legal platform — namely the Foreign-related Legal District, SCO Legal District, Pilot Free Trade Zone Legal District, Financial Legal District and Digital Legal Platform.

The municipal public legal service center has relocated to the Foreign-related Legal District, integrating judicial and administrative functions. It has set up 12 service windows, offering comprehensive legal services including legal consultation, commercial arbitration, and foreign-related legal services. More than 60 high-caliber foreign-related law firms provide rotating services there, forming a one-stop, full-chain, and professional foreign-related legal service system.

Furthermore, the inauguration of the Qingdao office of the Belt and Road International Legal Services Alliance (BRILSA) marks a milestone in Qingdao's efforts to advance foreign-related legal development and build an international shipping center. The office will bring together high-quality legal service resources from home and abroad, enhance the capacity of foreign-related legal services in both Shandong province and Qingdao, and foster a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment. It will also play a positive role in supporting the high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation and advancing the city's high-level opening-up.

Targeting the practical needs of enterprises going global, Qingdao has accelerated the development of a full-lifecycle legal service ecosystem for maritime-related enterprises.

The city has deepened the integration of legal services and business operations, incorporating legal services into every stage of enterprises' overseas ventures. Tailored to corporate demands, Qingdao has innovated legal service products and mechanisms and set up dedicated teams to deliver maritime and commercial legal services that benefit enterprises. It has compiled guidelines on cross-border compliance for enterprises and guidance for those investing in Central Asian countries.

Meanwhile, through the launch of over 100 activities on foreign-related legal services, Qingdao has provided regular legal services to more than 20,000 foreign trade enterprises across the city.

In terms of cultivating and attracting legal talent, over 30 renowned foreign-related law firms have established branches in Qingdao. The city is now home to 30 experts selected under the National Program for 1,000 Outstanding Foreign-related Lawyers and 12 provincial leading foreign-related lawyers.

Additionally, 20 organizational members and 263 individual members from Qingdao have joined the BRILSA, the highest number within the province.

A large number of local lawyers have grown into versatile legal professionals proficient in law, shipping, and foreign trade, delivering customized legal solutions for the construction of automated terminals at Qingdao Port, the innovation of shipping financial products, and the delivery of green vessels.

Looking ahead, Qingdao will continue to build itself into a premier hub for maritime and commercial legal services and continuously improve the foreign-related legal service system. On its path toward becoming a world-class international shipping hub, the city will keep advancing high-level opening-up and high-quality development underpinned by the rule of law.