en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 5, China's first mining mediation professional committee—the Mining Mediation Professional Committee of Hainan Hesong Commercial Mediation Center—was officially established, marking the entry of China's mining dispute resolution into a specialized development phase.
Commercial mediation activities refer to a method where parties voluntarily and amicably negotiate to resolve commercial disputes in areas such as trade, investment, finance, transportation, real estate, engineering construction, and intellectual property, under the auspices of a commercial mediation organization. Compared to litigation and arbitration, commercial mediation is characterized by flexibility, efficiency, professionalism, confidentiality, friendliness, and cost-effectiveness, making it one of the widely recognized important commercial dispute resolution methods in the international community. The Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council have repeatedly called for the promotion and improvement of the commercial mediation system. On May 1, 2026, the "Commercial Mediation Regulations of the People's Republic of China" officially came into effect, providing institutional guarantees for commercial mediation activities.
According to relevant sources, China sees approximately 100,000 to 150,000 mineral resource disputes annually, but professional commercial mediation in the mining sector had previously been nonexistent. Unlike ordinary commercial disputes, mining disputes typically involve large sums, complex legal relationships, numerous historical issues, and specialized fields such as geological exploration, reserve assessment, and ecological restoration. Ordinary mediators often lack the necessary technical background and professional competence to handle them effectively.
To implement laws and regulations such as the "Implementation Regulations of the Mineral Resources Law" and the "Commercial Mediation Regulations," seize the development opportunities in mining commercial mediation, and ensure national mineral resource security and the security of the industrial chain and supply chain, the Natural Resources Branch of the China Association of Senior Scientists and Technicians, along with other units, convened a meeting at the Beijing Jingshi Lawyer Building. The meeting included the establishment and unveiling ceremony of the Mining Mediation Professional Committee of Hainan Hesong Commercial Mediation Center, as well as training on mining commercial mediation. A total of 120 representatives from various mining administrative departments, industry associations, research institutions, mining enterprises, and law firms across China attended the meeting to jointly advance mining commercial mediation work.
The newly established Mining Mediation Professional Committee was initiated by the Mining Research Institute of the China Enterprise News Group, in collaboration with the Law Departments of China University of Geosciences (Beijing), China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), and China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing). It brings together multiple experts with composite expertise in mining and law. The new committee will serve the Hainan Hesong Commercial Mediation Center, with mediation cycles generally lasting 1 to 4 weeks, and no more than 3 months for major cases. Through a fusion model of "revitalizing idle and dead mines + mediation," it transforms "inability to perform" into "ability to perform." Pre-mediation can alleviate the trial burden on judicial and arbitration bodies, striving to achieve "balanced interests and multi-party win-win outcomes," and leveraging professional and technical advantages to maximize the resolution of mining commercial disputes.
Experts at the meeting believed that, against the backdrop of the restructuring of the mining legal system, the establishment of the Mining Mediation Professional Committee and mediation platforms has opened a new path for mining commercial mediation. It provides parties involved in mining commercial disputes with a third option beyond litigation and arbitration, and adds new legal safeguards for national mineral resource security and the security of the industrial and supply chains.
