Guangxi Maritime and Other Parties Jointly Establish "One-Stop Water Dispute Resolution Center"

On July 21, the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Guangxi Sub-Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the Greater Bay Area Arbitration Center (South China Branch) of the China Maritime Arbitration Commission signed a four-party cooperation agreement to jointly establish a collaborative mechanism of "diverse mediation + arbitration + labor rights protection." According to the agreement, the four parties will focus on major national and local projects such as the Pinglu Canal to create a dedicated "one-stop water dispute resolution center," resolving potential conflicts and disputes at the grassroots level and eliminating them in their early stages, thereby providing solid legal protection for the construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor.

Focusing on Major National Projects, Taking Dispute Resolution a Step Forward

The Pinglu Canal, as a backbone project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, holds significant importance for the maritime development of Guangxi and the entire southwestern region. With the surge in shipping business volume, water-related disputes such as ship collisions, cargo losses, and crew labor disputes are expected to increase correspondingly. The most notable highlight of this cooperation is addressing this practical need by moving the dispute resolution interface forward—establishing a "one-stop water dispute resolution center" for the Pinglu Canal at the project frontline. This center integrates functions such as diverse mediation, commercial arbitration, labor and personnel dispute arbitration, labor protection inspection, legal consultation, and legal education, achieving the goal of "resolving disputes without leaving the ship and preventing conflicts from reaching the shore."

Breaking Departmental Barriers, Forming a Synergy of "Mediation + Arbitration + Inspection"

In the past, water-related disputes often involved multiple fields such as administrative management, commercial contracts, and labor relations, requiring parties to shuttle between different departments. The new mechanism clarifies the division of responsibilities among the four parties: the maritime department is responsible for managing the water transportation industry and administrative mediation, the human resources and social security department guides labor protection inspection and labor contract enforcement, the trade promotion council advances commercial mediation services, and the Greater Bay Area Arbitration Center provides professional maritime arbitration support. The four parties will strengthen information sharing, explore online dispute transfer and business collaboration, and achieve lawful data exchange under safe and controllable conditions, enabling enterprises and crew members to "enter one door and solve multiple problems."

Serving Shipping Enterprises, Optimizing a Rule-of-Law Business Environment

In addition to resolving individual cases, the agreement also focuses on prevention at the source. The four parties will jointly introduce model labor contract templates suitable for the shipping industry, identify complex legal issues affecting enterprise development, and, relying on platforms such as the China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, co-organize a "China-ASEAN Commercial Law Forum" maritime service Pinglu Canal thematic event to release typical cases and innovative achievements. This is not only a proactive alignment with ASEAN countries' shipping regulations but also an important initiative for Guangxi to create an internationalized and convenient shipping business environment.

Jiang Hairong, Director of the Law Enforcement and Supervision Division of the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, stated that Guangxi's cross-departmental and cross-field collaborative mechanism is innovative in the maritime field. It is not only a vivid practice of the "Fengqiao Experience" in the field of water transportation in the new era but also marks an institutional step forward for Guangxi in serving national strategies and ensuring the healthy development of the shipping economy.