Dispute Resolution Practices under the Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by China in 2013, brings together over 65 countries in an infrastructure and trade development project with investments exceeding $1 trillion. The growth of cross-border transactions gives rise to disputes — commercial, investment, environmental — requiring effective settlement mechanisms. This paper analyzes the practice of resolving such conflicts with a focus on arbitration, examining international experience and Russian specifics. Cases from the practice of the SIAC, ICSID, CIETAC and Russian permanent arbitration centers have been studied. Based on the comparative legal method, problems of enforcement of decisions and jurisdictional conflicts are identified. The novelty of the study lies in its proposal of hybrid dispute resolution mechanisms combining arbitration and mediation, adapted for Russia. The recommendations for the creation of unified arbitration platforms are of practical significance for BRI participants. The relevance of the study is driven by the increasing number of disputes within the BRI and the need to analyze their resolution in the context of globalization and the strengthening role of Russia as China’s strategic partner in this project. The growth of cross-border operations has revealed significant gaps in legal mechanisms, especially where different legal traditions collide — from the civil law of Europe and Russia to the common law in Asian and African countries, as well as the Chinese legal system with its unique features. The purpose of this paper is to examine dispute resolution practices within the BRI, with a particular focus on arbitration mechanisms, analyze international experience and Russian specifics, and propose ways to improve these processes in light of modern challenges.

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