On April 2, 2025, the Department of Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region published a notice of the results of applications for confirmation of eligibility under Article 2(1) of the Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“法时” [2019] No. 14).
The notice formally confirmed that the Hong Kong Arbitration Center of the Asia Pacific International Arbitration Chamber (APIAC-HKAC) had been included in the latest list of arbitration institutions eligible under the Arrangement. The list was submitted by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and reviewed and confirmed by the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China.
Under the Arrangement, where the seat of arbitration is Hong Kong and the proceedings are administered by the Hong Kong Arbitration Center of the Asia Pacific Arbitration Center, parties may apply to Mainland courts for property preservation, evidence preservation and conduct preservation measures.
Notably, a practical case has already arisen under the Arrangement. In an arbitration administered by APIAC-HKAC, a Shanghai court accepted an application for property preservation. The case was filed on December 3, and an award was issued on December 10, with the entire review taking only seven days.
This case demonstrates the Mainland courts’ effective implementation of the Arrangement and highlights APIAC-HKAC’s advantages in cross-border dispute resolution.
