For multinationals and legal professionals based outside China—especially those in banking, insurance, international trade, law, and investment—the evolving legal ecosystem in Beijing offers both practical support and strategic insights for managing cross-border risks, ensuring enforceability, and navigating China’s business landscape with greater confidence.

In a striking example of the value of professional notarization, a Chinese state-owned enterprise’s Middle East subsidiary faced project delays due to its English name resembling that of a blacklisted company. Beijing’s Chang’an Notary Office intervened quickly, providing bilingual notarial certificates and evidence preservation services that allowed the subsidiary to clear local compliance hurdles and resume operations.

“Converting corporate credit information into internationally recognized evidence through notarization is essential for compliance and legal risk prevention,” said Jiang Duheng, Deputy Director at Chang’an Notary Office.

Over the past three years, Beijing's notary institutions have handled 692,000 foreign-related notarization matters involving over 180 countries and regions. Offices like Chang’an, Fangyuan, and Haicheng have partnered with more than 100 overseas embassies and consulates to conduct remote video notarization, with over 400 cases already processed.

Yang Yuhao, Deputy Director of the Notary Division at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice, emphasized that digital notarization and enterprise-friendly initiatives are enhancing both the security and credibility of services, making them more responsive to the fast-paced needs of international commerce.

Since its 2022 pilot phase, Beijing’s international arbitration platform has integrated litigation, arbitration, mediation, judicial authentication, and accounting into a single “one-stop” dispute resolution ecosystem.

According to Liu Peng, Director of the Public Legal Services Division at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice, Beijing is coordinating its three leading arbitration institutions—the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC), and Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC)—to build a globally recognized International Dispute Resolution Development Center.

In 2024 alone, these institutions handled 1,128 foreign-related cases with a total dispute value of RMB 92.7 billion (approx. USD 12.7 billion), accounting for nearly half of China’s total value in such cases. Their rulings have been recognized and enforced across numerous jurisdictions, strengthening investor confidence.

The Beijing Arbitration Commission’s implementation of emergency arbitrator mechanisms has made headlines in legal circles. In one notable case, a Hong Kong investor sought to revoke a share transfer after a contractual breach. With the danger that transferred shares might be sold before the tribunal could convene, BAC appointed an emergency arbitrator within 24 hours. Within 15 days, an interim award was issued preventing the disposal of shares—an act that preserved the applicant’s legal rights and mirrored best practices in global arbitration.

BAC Secretary-General Jiang Lili noted that such emergency protocols—introduced as early as 2015—have already been enforced by foreign courts, showcasing the global recognition of Chinese arbitral authority.

Currently, foreign arbitrators account for 30% of BAC’s panel, representing 59 countries. In 2024 alone, BAC handled 14,060 cases with a total value exceeding RMB 103.3 billion (USD 14.2 billion).