Legal English Study Group (LESG) had a night study on the topic of dispute resolution provisions in bilateral investment treaties (BITs) at Tong Qing Hao Tea House, Poly Plaza 19^th Floor on Dec 21, 2018. With support from China Academy of Arbitration Law (CAAL), a group of professionals including lawyers and professors spoke on the subject and exchanged views on dispute resolution provisions in investor-State disputes and relevant cases. 

2018年12月21日，“法律英语学习小组”以“双边投资条约中的争端解决机制”为议题在保利大厦19层同庆号茶室开展了一次夜读活动。在中国仲裁法学研究院的支持下，包括律师和教授在内的专业小组就该主题作了发言并就“投资者-东道国”争端解决条款和相关案例交换了意见。

The topics discussed include the following major content.

研讨会包含以下主要内容。

ECT and DR Provisions

能源宪章条约和争端解决条款

The Energy Charter Treaty, with its legally binding form came into force and open for signature in December 1994, is a multilateral treaty on the promotion and protection of investments related to the energy sector. 

能源宪章是促进和保护能源领域投资的多边条约，其具有法律约束力的版本于1994年12月开始生效并开放签署。

The investor-State dispute resolution provisions include options of arbitration under the following rules: 

投资者-东道国争端解决条款包括根据以下规则可以进行的仲裁：

  1) ICISD Rules;

  国际投资争端解决中心规则；

  2) ICSID under Additional Facilitation Rules;

 附加便利规则下的国际投资争端解决中心规则；

  3) UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules;

 联合国国际贸易法委员会仲裁规则；

 4) Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) Arbitration Rules.

 斯德哥尔摩商会仲裁规则。

During the discussion, a question was raised as to any possible conflicts between the ECT and BITs. The answer will probably need to resort to Article 16 of the ECT, in accordance with which the provision more favourable to the Investor or Investment should prevail.

在讨论中，有与会者提出关于双边投资条约和能源宪章条约出现冲突时的问题。这一问题的答案也许应当参考ECT第16条的规定。根据该条规定，应当适用更有利于投资者或投资的条款。

ICSID

国际投资争端解决中心

ICSID stands for International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, a centre established under the World Bank Group, headquartered in Washington under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States of 1965. Current data shows that there 442 ICSID cases. Of these, 86.88% of cases are handled under the ICSID Convention - Arbitration Rules, 9.73% handled under ICSID Additional Facility, and 1.81% under UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. 

ICSID代表国际投资争端解决中心，总部位于华盛顿的世界银行内，是根据1965 年《关于解决国家与其它国家国民投资争端公约》而设立的中心。 目前的数据显示，ICSID已受理442个案件。其中，86.88％的案件根据ICSID仲裁规则处理，9.73％根据ICSID附加便利规则处理，1.81％根据“联合国国际贸易法委员会仲裁规则”处理。

Most applicants of ICSID cases are from the US，followed by the Netherlands, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain. The countries which mostly involved as respondents include Argentina, Egypt, Venezuela and Mexico.

大多数ICSID案件的申请人来自美国，其次是荷兰，英国，德国，意大利，西班牙。主要作为被告参与的国家包括阿根廷、埃及、委内瑞拉和墨西哥。

The applicability of China’s BITs to Hong Kong and Macao

中国的双边投资条约对港澳的适用性

In most of China’s BITs, whether there are definitions of "territory" or not, the BITs may be read as to apply to all territory of a Contracting Party. However, under the China-Russia BIT, Hong Kong and Macao are explicitly carved out through a protocol. It is questioned whether certain procedural requirements will need to be complied with in order to have the BITs (except China Russia BIT) apply to Hong Kong and Macao. 

在我国签订的多数双边投资条约中，无论是否有关于“领土”的定义，这些条约或许都可以被解读为适用于缔约国的全部领土。但是中国-俄罗斯双边投资条约通过一个议定书将香港和澳门明示约定地排除在BIT的适用之外。因此，除中俄投资保护条约外，在决定将双边投资条约是否适用于港澳地区时，是否需要考虑符合其它程序规则要求呢？

International arbitrators dealing with cases involved in the issue of applicability of China’s BITs to Hong Kong and Macao may not see the rules of “one country two system” as binding on their discretion of interpretation of the BITs. They will likely interpret the BIT provisions solely based on the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaty. The case of Tza Yap Shum v. Peru (ICSID Case No. Arb 07/6) is an example, in which a Hong Kong resident brought ICSID arbitration against Peru under the China Peru BIT, claiming that Hong Kong resident is a resident of China enjoying the benefit of China Peru BIT. In the case Sanum v. Laos, the Appeal Court of Singapore adjudicated that the BIT applies to Macao, but the conclusion was reached on the basis of factual finding of the evidence produced in the case. 

国际仲裁员在审理涉及中国的双边投资条约对港澳地区的适用性的案件时，可能认为“一国两制”并不影响其对于双边投资条约解释的理解。他们可能会仅根据《维也纳条约法公约》对双边条约中的条款进行解释。谢业深诉秘鲁政府即是一个相关案例。在该案中，谢业深是一位香港居民，依据中国和秘鲁的双边保护条约，申请了ICSID仲裁，理由是香港居民是中国国籍的人，享受中国和秘鲁双边投资保护条约的保护。在世能公司诉老挝政府一案中，新加坡上诉法院裁定中老双边投资条约适用于澳门，但该案的结论是依据案件中提交的证据所做的事实发现认定的。

The Night Study Group heard wonderful presentations on this issue and discussed its implications. According to the data shown on UNTCAD, Hong Kong and Macao SARs have both independently signed BITs with some other countries. Till today, Hong Kong has 18 BITs in effect, and Macau has 2 BITs in effect, while Mainland China has over 120 BITs with other Contracting Parties. Therefore, it is remarkably important to determine if China’s BITs can apply to the SARs.

夜读小组充分听取了有关精彩发言，并讨论了其中的内涵。联合国贸易发展委员会数据库 (UNTCAD) 数据显示，香港和澳门也分别单独与一些国家签订了双边投资条约。截至今日，香港已签订的生效BIT为18个，澳门签订的生效BIT为2个, 而中国大陆与世界上120多个国家签订了双边投资条约（BIT） 。因此，确定我国的双边投资条约是否适用于特别行政区，是个很重要的问题。

Options of Dispute Resolution in BITs

双边投资条约中选择争议解决的条款

In the remaining time, the Night Study Group later reviewed the dispute resolution provisions of some of the BITs. The group looked at some examples of dispute resolution provisions under the China – UK BIT, China –Germany BIT, and the China – Russia BIT. 

夜读小组最后查阅了有关双边投资保护条约中的争议解决条款。小组以中英、中德、中俄双边投资条约为例，研究了投资条约下的争议解决条款。

The China Russia BIT (supplemented by the protocol of 2006) provides following options for dispute resolution:

中国俄罗斯双边投资条约(通过2006年议定书补充条款)提供以下争议解决方法选项：

1. Administrative review;

行政审查；

2. Court of the host State;

东道国法院起诉；

3. ICSID Arbitration

  国际投资争端解决中心仲裁

4. UNCITRAL Arbitration

  国际贸易法委员会仲裁规则下的仲裁

Looking into the future, international mediation may also be included as one forum for dispute resolution in BITs. The Singapore Mediation Convention approved by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) on June 25, 2018 may be used to facilitate the enforcement of mediated agreement in international mediations.

展望未来，国际调解也可能成为双边投资条约中争议解决的一个平台。联合国贸易法委员会2018年6月25日批准的《新加坡调解公约》可用于促进在国际调解中调解协议的执行。

The LESG concluded the night study in friendly atmosphere. It is hoped that relevant topical discussion and study may continue in the future. 

夜读活动在愉快的气氛中结束。希望今后可以就有关专题进一步讨论和研读。