Singapore and China sign new Joint Declaration on Cooperation

27 November 2025

On 24 October 2025, the Ministry of Law (“MinLaw”) issued a press release announcing that Singapore and China had reaffirmed their commitment to legal cooperation at the 5th Singapore-China International Commercial Dispute Resolution Conference (“Conference”), held in Singapore. Jointly organised by MinLaw, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (“CCPIT”), and the International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (“ICDPASO”), the Conference marked 35 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China.

Discussions at the Conference covered key topics such as disputes arising from the use of AI in dispute resolution proceedings, ethics in dispute resolution, and enhancing efficiency through procedural innovation.

A key milestone of the Conference was the signing of a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in Promoting International Commercial Dispute Resolution. The Declaration was endorsed by 10 organisations: MinLaw, CCPIT, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Singapore International Mediation Centre, Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration, Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, China Maritime Arbitration Commission, CCPIT Commercial Legal Service Center, and ICDPASO.

The Joint Declaration affirms the parties’ shared commitment to deepen cooperation in advancing diverse international commercial dispute resolution mechanisms. It aims to support businesses by promoting greater awareness and accessibility of dispute resolution options, while upholding high standards of professionalism and excellence, and fostering knowledge exchange in dispute resolution practice.

Reference materials

The press release is available on the MinLaw website www.mlaw.gov.sg.