Promoting Social Cohesion and Integration through Foreign National Trade Mediators

Yiwu, an export-oriented city, has 15,000 foreign residents from more than 100 countries and regions. There are more than 500,000 foreign business people visiting Yiwu annually. With the rapid expansion of trade and the growing number of foreign interests and contacts, Yiwu also witnessed an increasing number of disputes involving foreign and domestic traders. 

In May 2013, to create a sound trading environment for both domestic and foreign business people, the Yiwu Bureau of Justice took the lead in establishing the Yiwu People's Mediation Committee for Foreign-related Disputes (hereinafter referred to as "PMCFD"). The PMCFD is the first of its kind in China, aiming at improving social and cultural understanding, cohesion and integration.

As a pilot project, today the PMCFD consists of 16 foreign mediators (represented by resident foreign business people who can speak several languages) and 37 Chinese mediators. It has established sound information communication mechanisms and channels through management of the mediators, sticking to the "Dual Responsibilities for One Position" of mediators and implementing the project of "Integration of Foreign Population into Yiwu". From its establishment to the end of July 2016, the PMCFD has achieved 96.7 percent success rate in handling 294 disputes involving around 47 ($6.80) million yuan. Also it has recovered economic damages of about 26 million yuan for domestic and foreign businessmen.