In a groundbreaking judicial reform, China’s Supreme People’s Court has established a comprehensive collaborative mediation framework involving twenty national institutions to resolve social and commercial disputes before they enter the courtroom. The initiative, announced on February 2, 2026, represents a strategic shift toward prioritizing mediation over litigation in the Chinese legal system.
The court has partnered with key institutions including the People’s Bank of China, All-China Women’s Federation, and China National Intellectual Property Administration to create specialized mediation channels for conflicts spanning real estate, labor relations, marital disputes, intellectual property, and financial matters. The guidelines mandate regular monitoring and risk assessment in these sectors to identify and address potential conflicts at their earliest stages.
Chief Judge Qian Xiaochen of the Court’s case-filing division emphasized that leveraging industry professionals’ specialized knowledge within legal parameters enables more efficient and effective resolution of underlying issues. The system requires nationwide courts to establish qualification standards for mediators while providing legal training to enhance professionalism across sectors.
This institutional approach has already demonstrated significant success. In Hubei province’s Jianshi county, courts collaborated with housing authorities to mediate a complex dispute involving 1,700 homeowners and a property management company, resolving conflicts over parking spaces, environmental compensation, and maintenance fees through combined legal and policy expertise.
Professor Liang Yingxiu of Beijing Normal University praised the model for creating win-win outcomes that improve citizen welfare while optimizing business operations. The approach also alleviates judicial burdens, allowing judges to focus on more complex cases. Supporting data reveals impressive results: pretrial mediation efforts grew by 28% quarterly throughout 2025, successfully resolving over 4.32 million cases without litigation. The expansion of online legal services has further reduced time and travel requirements for citizens seeking dispute resolution.