It’s bright and clear in this early winter in Shanghai, December 8, 2025.

The China-India Seminar on Commerce and Law, organized by AI Committee and Legal Development and Training Committee of IPBA, co-organized by the River Delta Law Firm, was held as schedule. Ms. Priti Suri, the President-elect of the IPBA, attended in person and delivered a keynote speech. The Seminar gathered over 50 senior foreign-related lawyers and legal experts from the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Dragon-Elephant Collaboration for Boundless Prospects

At the opening ceremony, Jack Li, the 30^th President of the IPBA and Chair of IPBA AI Committee, stated in his address that his first participation in an international rule of law exchange was in New Delhi in 1997, where he was received by the then President of India. Years later, a photograph of that handshake meeting was published in Shanghai's widely-circulated Wenhui Daily. Such people-to-people diplomacy by legal professionals enriches the landscape of civilizational exchange and mutual learning in the rule of law. On April 19, 2021, Shanghai successfully hosted the 30^th Annual Meeting & Conference of the IPBA, the first major international lawyers' organization conference held in the city in its 178 years since opening up as a port. It became the sole major international rule of law Conference held successfully in a primarily offline format combined with online sessions during the unprecedented pandemic. That year, Ms. Priti, then Chair of the IPBA Publications Committee, meticulously edited the June issue of the IPBA Journal. Its brilliant cover perfectly integrated Shanghai Tower and the Yu Garden, two landmarks representing modernity and tradition, much like the IPBA anthem We Are Together, reaching out across the globe.

China-India Exchange for Win-Win Cooperation

At the Seminar, Jin Chunqing, Romanee Luo, and Zhang Haiyan shared insights on China-India investment and AI law and practice; Tai Jie, Ni Jianlin, and Xu Shanshan discussed China-India intellectual property and international trade law and practice; Zhang Zhen'an and Jiang Hai addressed China-India international commercial dispute resolution law and practice. Entrusted by Jason Lu, Jurisdictional Council Member for China of the IPBA, Qu Xiaorong, Senior Partner and Deputy Director of River Delta Law Firm, presided over the opening and closing ceremonies. Keanu Ou, Romanee Luo, and Scott Li moderated the three thematic sessions of the dialogue session respectively.

Participants at the dialogue noted that China and India, as major neighboring countries with long histories and extensive global influence, stand to gain profoundly from strengthening people-to-people exchanges and legal cooperation. The resumption of direct flights between the two countries helps bring their peoples closer. From February 25 to 28, 2026, the IPBA 2026 Annual Meeting & Conference will be held in New Delhi, India, where legal professionals from various countries will share insights on hot topics such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and commercial arbitration. This will advance the deep integration of the rule of law and the economy and enhance win-win cooperation among international commercial lawyers.