A TOTAL of 72 teams from 33 countries and regions gathered in Shenzhen for the global finals of an international investment arbitration competition, the first time the event’s final rounds have been held in China. The five-day Global Finals of the 2026 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) International Arbitration Moot concluded Tuesday. The event also brought together 200 arbitration experts and arbitrators from 37 countries and regions. Students argued complex investment disputes in English before simulated tribunals. Hosted by the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA), the competition highlights Shenzhen’s ambitions to become a global arbitration hub. The FDI Moot is widely regarded as one of the world’s three leading international moot court competitions. It came to China in 2020 with the launch of the FDI Moot Shenzhen, which served as the national round. Shenzhen is hosting the global finals for the first time this year. For the participants, the event offered both professional experience and a chance to see the city. “Shenzhen is a fantastic place to hold this,” said Hanna Tobiasz, a participant from Poland. Tobias Orbay, a participant from the Czech Republic, called Shenzhen “futuristic and modern.” The competition, he said, helps students sharpen their advocacy and legal drafting skills while connecting them with the broader legal profession. The event comes as Shenzhen seeks to strengthen its standing as an arbitration center. In the 2025 International Arbitration Survey, jointly published by Queen Mary University of London and White & Case, Shenzhen ranked among the world’s five most preferred seats for arbitration for the first time. The SCIA’s arbitration rules were also listed among the 10 most popular globally. SCIA arbitrator Peter Ong Lip Cheng, founder of Singapore’s Peter Ong Law Corporation, said the moot would bring Shenzhen to the world ahead of the APEC meeting in the city in November. Ignazio Castellucci, an SCIA arbitrator, said Shenzhen “is one of the major arbitration hubs worldwide.” (SD News) | 