Shanghai building full-chain foreign-related legal service system to support enterprises going global

As a pivotal hub for Belt and Road cooperation and a frontier of China's opening-up, Shanghai has been steadily strengthening the building of its foreign-related legal service network to support high-level opening-up.

Integrated service hubs take shape

Notarized documents serve as internationally recognized legal credentials and are essential to building trust in cross-border business. Recently, a cruise supply company urgently needed a notarized shareholder's power of attorney for its German subsidiary to proceed with a major overseas project. The Shanghai New Hongqiao Notary Public Office opened a green channel for foreign-related notarization, completing legal adaptation, document translation, verification and issuance within 24 hours in a one-stop process, helping the company secure its overseas cooperation.

Since its establishment in 2021, the Hongqiao International Central Legal Services District has gathered 188 legal service institutions, targeting service coverage for the Yangtze River Delta, nationwide outreach and global connectivity. It has developed a comprehensive, diversified, and internationalized foreign-related legal service ecosystem, providing strong support for intellectual property protection and cross-border trade compliance for enterprises.

As local enterprises accelerate their global expansion, demand for higher-standard legal services has grown. A physical service outlet of Shanghai's international legal service hub will soon open at the Hongqiao International Central Legal Services District. The outlet will offer a range of legal services covering integrated legal consultation, risk assessment, and one-stop resolution of foreign-related commercial disputes, strengthening coordination between legal services and business districts and providing rule-of-law safeguards for enterprises going global.

Digital intelligence protects enterprises against legal risks

Chinese enterprises expanding overseas often face pain points such as compliance risks, mismatched legal services, and slow responses. To address these challenges, the West Bund AI Valley in Xuhui district has upgraded its mobile public service mini-program powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and direct resource matching. The platform integrates enterprise-related functions such as legal compliance assessments, AI legal service products and contract drafting. By pooling resources from the international service network of local enterprises' overseas branches and partner agencies across over 70 countries and regions, the platform overcomes traditional difficulties such as complex procedures, fragmented resources, and limited functionality.

At the West Bund International Legal Ecosystem Bay, foreign-related legal services are convenient, efficient and highly accessible. Businesses can enter their queries into the online mini-program, and an AI engine instantly captures key information and generates intelligent forms. Using a three-dimensional system based on time zones, destination countries, and areas of expertise, the platform identifies multiple legal teams from different countries within seconds. After submitting the form, businesses can connect with a matched lawyer in about 40 minutes, breaking down time and space barriers in cross-border legal services.

Looking ahead, Xuhui will build a dual-core development framework centered on the West Bund International Legal Services District and the Greater Xujiahui International Commercial Legal Service Circle. This will promote deeper integration of global legal service resources with real industries, accelerate the district's upgrading of digital legal services, and strengthen Xuhui's position as a key hub for foreign-related legal services.

Diversified dispute resolution boosts economic and trade growth

Hongkou district, a major cluster for high-end shipping and finance, is home to over 4,700 shipping enterprises, more than 40 domestic and international specialized shipping institutions and over 2,100 financial service providers. Building on these strengths, Hongkou is integrating ad hoc arbitration and commercial mediation with shipping insurance and international trade to explore new pathways for resolving international commercial disputes.

A cross-border ship collision case illustrates the effectiveness of Hongkou's diversified dispute resolution mechanism. After a foreign vessel collided with a Chinese ship and damaged its anchor, the domestic shipowner filed a claim on the North Bund Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Platform under the APEC Collaborative Framework for ODR of Cross-Border B2B Disputes. Through joint mediation by the North Bund Multiparty Commercial Mediation Center, local maritime authorities, and courts, the two parties reached a settlement, confirmed through ad hoc arbitration seated in Shanghai under Chinese law.

The case marked the first online cross-border dispute accepted by the North Bund Multiparty Commercial Mediation Center since it joined the APEC Collaborative Framework. The center's innovative mediation-arbitration mechanism effectively aligns domestic and international legal rules, contributing Chinese experience to commercial dispute resolution across the Asia-Pacific region.

By expanding international legal cooperation, building comprehensive one-stop legal service hubs, and integrating legal services with business development, Shanghai is continuously enhancing its foreign-related legal service capacity to safeguard high-level opening-up and support enterprises in their global ventures.