The 21st Willem C. Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot (“Vis East Moot”) was held in Hong Kong, China, from 11 to 17 March 2024. This year’s event attracted a total of 144 teams from home and abroad, including teams from Peking University, Tsinghua University, the University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore, University of Vienna, Universität Göttingen and other well-known universities. On behalf of CESL, seven double masters of 2023, Chi Jing, Lyu Lingqi, Song Dailin, Wang Chenxi, Wang Weiran, Xu Rongshan and Yu Yue, participated, under the coaching of Prof. Susan Wintermuth and former team member Zhang Ruohan. Our team member Wang Weiran was awarded the “Honourable Mention For the Best Oral Advocate” by virtue of her excellent pleading performance and comprehensive capacities.

Group photo of the CESL Vis Moot team

(Back row) From left to right: Chi Jing, Zhang Ruohan, Prof. Susan Wintermuth, Song Dailin, Wang Weiran, Xu Rongshan

(Front row) From left to right: Yu Yue, Wang Chenxi, Lyu Lingqi

The certificate of Best Oral Advocate

I. Recap of competition

In this year’s Vis East Moot, Chi Jing and Wang Weiran, both double masters from the class of 2023, competed as oralists on behalf of the CESL Vis Moot Team. From 11 to 14 March 2024, the Team consecutively confronted Team No. 461 from Russia, National University of Singapore Team, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Team from Germany and Universitas Katolik Parahyangan Team from Indonesia. Equipped with half a year’s training and experience accumulated during all the pre-moots, the two oralists were fully prepared and won high praise from the arbitrators, as well as appreciation from the opposing teams, with their fluent presentation and professional responses to questions.

First Round: China-EU School of Law (Claimant) vs Team No. 461 (Respondent)

Second Round: National University of Singapore (Claimant) vs China-EU School of Law (Respondent)

Third Round: China-EU School of Law (Claimant) vs Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Respondent)

Fourth Round: Universitas Katolik Parahyangan (Claimant) vs China-EU School of Law (Respondent)

Among them, the team of National University of Singapore is the champion of this year’s Moot Shanghai, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, known as “Tsinghua University of Germany”, is also a traditionally competitive university in the field of international commercial arbitration moot. Our two oralists’ better performances were stimulated by such formidable adversaries,. Their responses to the tribunals’ probing questions were supported by solid authorities and convincing logic, leaving several arbitrators with the impression that the CESL Vis Moot Team was qualified for the next round. Despite regrettably narrowly missing advancing to the next round, the two oralists still won recognition and praise, among which, Wang Weiran was awarded Honorable Mention for her excellent performance in the general round.

II. Introduction to Competition

Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition is one of the most prestigious commercial arbitration moot competitions in the world. The first Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition (“Vis Moot”) was held in Vienna, Austria, in 1992-1993, in honor of the renowned international commercial jurist Professor Willem Cornelis Vis. Organized by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and other institutions, Vis Moot is one of the largest and most influential moot court competitions in the world. It encourages participants to use English in both memorandum writing and oral pleading, is designed to encourage law students from all countries to study cutting-edge issues in international trade law and international commercial arbitration and to practice their ability to resolve international commercial disputes. Currently, the competition is divided into Vis Moot, which is held in Vienna, Austria, and Willem C. Vis East Moot, which is held in Hong Kong, China.

III. Acknowledgement

The Team can never achieve today’s success without long-term attention and support from China-EU School of Law for international moot court competition activities. We sincerely thank the leaders and teachers of CESL for their support and encouragement. Our greatest gratitude is expressed to Prof. Susan Wintermuth and Monty Silley for their guidance and companionship all the way through.

The growth and progress of this year’s CESL Vis Moot Team also relies on love and care from all the alumni community. Special thanks to Beijing Global Law Office for their sponsorship and support, to alumni such as Meng Fanqin, Zheng Yan, Huang Shuai, Liu Qianning and Tao Zhilin for their professional guidance and selfless help in research, memorandum writing, and pleading skills.

Within the huge family of CESL Vis Moot alumni, inheritance and mutual assistance are the source of motivation to keep moving forward. In the preparation process of this year’s Moot, thanks to Zhang Ruohan, Feng Shuyue, Wu Yuzhuo, Ma Wentao, Shu Xin, Wang Xuan, Zhao Ziwei and other former team members for genuinely passing on their experience and supporting each pre-moot training.

This year’s Vis East Moot journey has come to an end, but the pursuit of CESL Vis Moot Team in this field will never cease. May more and more CESL students explore in the ocean of Vis Moot and make their voice of China heard in the arena of international commercial arbitration.

Group photo in front of Hong Kong Justice Place (Competition Venue)

News | Yu Yue, Double Master 2023 intake

Photo | CESL Vis Moot Team