Shenzhen in the autumn

IN the beautiful autumn season, the Fourth International Conference on Maritime Law was held in the city of Shenzhen, ranked as one of the most promising cities in China. As one of the first four Special Economic Zones in China, the development of Shenzhen mirrors the progress achieved by China over the past decade after adopting the policy of reform and opening up to the outside world. The first three conferences were held in Shanghai, Dalian and Beijing respectively.

The conference was hosted by the China Maritime Law Association, and supported by the People's Insurance Company of China (PICC), China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (Cosco), China National Foreign Trade Transportation Corporation (Sinotrans), China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the Ministry of Communications of the PPC (MOC), the Supreme People's Court of PRC (SPC), and China's Lawyers' Association (ACLA).

About 300 delegates attended the conference. While some had travelled from various cities of China, others had come thousands of miles from different parts of the world for this special occasion - Australia, France, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, South Africa, the UK and the US. Nearly all the well-known shipping law firms sent representatives. Judges, arbitrators, and managers from Cosco, PICC and CPIC also attended.

Fifty-five speakers made ten-minute presentations covering many aspects of maritime law. There were nine sessions in total, and the main topics included the current development of maritime law, marine insurance, the carriage of goods by sea, arbitration and ADR, and ship arrest.

The new Special Maritime Procedure Law of the PRC has been effective since July 1 this year, and is regarded as a new milestone in the Chinese maritime law system. Not surprisingly, it was a recurring topic at the conference. In particular, Professor Feng Li Qi, the first speaker, gave a brief account of the new law. As an ex-senior judge of the Supreme Court of PRC, his understanding of the new law he helped to draft was particularly valuable.

Another popular topic was the arrest of ships, especially the arrest system in South Africa, that can be a nightmare for shipowners. Andrew Pike, a lawyer from South Africa, gave a paper with regard to recent developments in South Africa arrest laws, in particular relating to vessels operating from countries where all property is owned by the state.

A Chinese lawyer raised an interesting question as to whether it was possible for the South African government to give special concession to Cosco vessels to avoid possible arrest for claims against another Chinese company. The straight answer was that it is a matter of politics, rather than a matter of law.

Other topics discussed were wreck removal, identity and liability of the actual carrier and the arrest convention 1999.

All speakers gave their papers in English, with a simultaneous translation available into Chinese. However, the majority of Chinese delegates did not need this.

An excursion to the Chinese Folk Culture Villages and Splendid China was arranged during the afternoon of the second day of the conference. The two shows in the evening were excellent, portraying 5,000 years of Chinese history, including the different customs and cultures of China's 52 ethnic groups. So many colours, so many dances, so much music and so many beautiful sights captured the imagination of delegates.

A closing dinner was held in the evening of the last day of the conference, which was co-ordinated by Henry & Co of Shenzhen.