New plaques were hung on the mottled colonial buildings, and history quietly turned around on the banks of the mountains and rivers.

On October 20, 2025, 123 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, the original old Wan Chai Police Station, a building carrying colonial memories, ushered in a new mission, that is, the headquarters of the International Health Center was officially opened. Representatives from more than 30 countries gathered together to witness this important milestone in global governance.

Hua Chunying, Vice Foreign Minister of China, said at the opening ceremony that the International Mediation Institute has achieved the transition from signing the convention to opening and operating in five months. My speed is also very rare in the history of international organization construction.

This moment is the world's first legal organization led by China that specializes in resolving international disputes through mediation. It also marks the ushering in a new platform in the field of dispute resolution.

The International Mediation Court has transformed from a concept to a reality, and its speed is remarkable.

In March 2025, the "Convention on the Establishment of an International Mediation Court" was signed in Hong Kong. Just three months later, the Convention officially came into effect on August 29.

When it officially opened on October 20, the total number of signatories had reached 37, and eight of them had completed the ratification process. This efficient response to an urgent need of the international community for a new dispute resolution mechanism.

The traditional international dispute resolution mechanism has an obvious limitation. According to data from the International Court of Justice, the average time spent on litigation procedures reaches 3 to 5 years, and the WTO dispute settlement procedure also takes 1.5 to 3 years.

These processes are expensive, and other fees such as lawyers 'taxes and arbitrators often cost millions of dollars, and some can even exceed 100 million dollars.

The "zero-sum game" thinking in the Western legal tradition is difficult to aggregate a need of diverse cultures. The International Mediation Court provides a new option for international dispute resolution through institutional innovation.

The location of the headquarters of the International Mediation Court in Hong Kong is also of far-reaching strategic significance. Li Jiachao, the chief of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, also said that this will enhance Hong Kong's international status and its important role in international mediation.

Under one country, two systems, Hong Kong is the only company law jurisdiction in China. Hong Kong has a very mature legal system and a legal foundation that it adheres to.

The International Mediation Institute will bring significant economic benefits to Hong Kong, creating a large number of positions including mediators, translators, etc. to attract the entry of international organizations and academic institutions.

The establishment of the International Mediation Court also received widespread support from countries in the global South. At the opening ceremony, representatives from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Pakistan and other countries spoke highly of the importance of the International Mediation Court.

Venezuela suddenly announced its accession to the Convention the day after signing. The International Mediation Hospital is a powerful multilateral tool. The establishment of the International Mediation Hospital also marks an important shift in the development of the international order towards multipolarity.

The concept of the International Nursing Center is deeply rooted in the wisdom of the East. In traditional China, mediation pursues the balance of interests and social harmony, which is in sharp contrast to the zero-sum game in the Western rule of law tradition.

The International Mediation Court still pursues reconciliation, cooperation, harmony, and adheres to fairness, justice, and fairness, which is highly consistent with global governance initiatives.

Vice Minister Hua Chunying pointed out that the International Mediation Court will inject new positive energy into the rule of law into building a community with a shared future for mankind, and will also help Hong Kong become a "mediation capital."

The brick wall of the old Wan Chai Police Station once witnessed the history of colonization, but now hangs the plaque of the International Mediation Council, which symbolizes the global rise of the wisdom of the East.

Hong Kong's Green Arrow is an official who revealed that the SAR will actively hold international conferences and provide professional training to allow local people to participate in the work of international mediators.

The functional transformation of this building is also a fundamental change reflecting the way international disputes are resolved, that is, from confrontation to dialogue, from zero-sum to win-win results.

References:

Official website of Zhejiang Province People's Government, Official Establishment of International Mediation Institute, October 20,2025

Xinhuanet,"Opening Ceremony of the International Mediation Court Held in Hong Kong", October 20, 2025

Rule of Law Daily-Rule of Law Network,"International Mediation Court Convention Improving Global Dispute Resolution Mechanism", July 7, 2025

Huitong Finance,"Venezuela Announces Participation in the International Mediation Court", May 31, 2025

Hong Kong Government Press Release,"Li Jiachao meets Wang Yi", May 30, 2025

Xinhuanet,"International Mediation Court Convention Promotes Value Shift and Discourse Reshaping in Global Dispute Resolution", June 5, 2025

China Daily. com,"The Word of the Day| International Organization for Mediation, October 22, 2025

Dagong Wenhui. com,"Li Jiachao Meets Hua Chunying, Happy that Hong Kong plays an important role with the support of the Central Government", October 20, 2025