New York, New York and Beijing, China – In a landmark move aimed at furthering east-west trade agreements, the CPR Institute, a nonprofit alliance of 500 of the largest global corporations, law firms, scholars, and public institutions and CCPIT, the most important and largest institution for the promotion of foreign trade in China, are forming a U.S.-China Business Mediation Center to help resolve disputes involving U.S. and Chinese businesses. The Center will have offices in New York, New York and Beijing, China.

This significant development comes at a time when the volume of Chinese imports and exports has reached an all-time high of $126.33 billion. The United States is China’s second-largest trading partner after Japan. Beijing has sent two multibillion-dollar buying missions to the United States in recent months. (Source: China’s Ministry of Commerce)

“This landmark program holds enormous potential to effectively resolve international business disputes and promoting greater understanding between China and the United States,” said Thomas J. Stipanowich, President and Chief Executive Officer of The CPR Institute. “Leading U.S. companies have become aware of the tremendous advantages of mediated negotiation over litigation, and our counterparts in China have long understood the benefits of conciliated settlement. Together, we are now creating a common framework for helping businesses solve problems in ways that promote business goals.”

Officials at the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade are enthusiastic about the Center. Liu Wenjie, Vice Chairman of CCPIT and Chairman of the CCPIT Conciliation Center, said, “We believe this is a strategic move for the economic and trade development of both China and the United States. The establishment of the Center will help commercial partners between the two countries to have a dispute resolution facility of the highest quality. It will also provide favorable legal and investment environments for companies in the two countries.” Liu continued:" Therefore, we look forward to working closely with CPR to develop a Center that assists both of our constituents.”

Huang He, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the CCPIT Conciliation Center, added," The Center will help enhance companies' understanding between the two countries, and facilitate quick, efficient dispute resolution arising from American companies and Chinese partners. At the same time,” Huang continued, "it will offer quality legal service for economic and trade cooperation of both Chinese and the United States companies.”

The signing of the agreement will take place at 3:30 pm (EST) in New York City at The Plaza Hotel, 59th Street and Fifth Avenue. The media is invited and prior clearance is required. In order to reserve a place, please contact Liz Chatfield at 203-921-1323.

About CPR Institute For Dispute Resolution
CPR Institute For Dispute Resolution is a pioneer and leader in the area of dispute resolution. Founded in 1979 as the Center for Public Resources, CPR promotes excellence and innovation in public and private dispute resolution, and serves as a primary multinational resource for avoidance, management and resolution of business-related and other disputes. CPR’s unparalleled wealth of intellectual property and published material in this area has educated and motivated America toward an increased reliance on negotiation rather than litigation. CPR’s proprietary Panel of esteemed arbitrators and mediators has provided resolutions in thousands of cases, with billions of dollars at issue, worldwide.

For more information, please visit our web site at www.cpradr.org.

CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution

CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution

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