2004 - 2006

The idea of the project for a Chinese European Arbitration Centre dates back to 2004. At that time, the Hamburg Bar Organisation had concluded a Cooperation Agreement with the Tianjin Bar Association and received a number of Chinese delegations. In preparation for the visit of the Mayor (Erster Bürgermeister Ole von Beust) to China, the City approached the Hamburg Bar Organisation and raised the question as to what it could contribute in order to enhance relations with China and, in particular, with Hamburg´s sister city, Shanghai.

The first bilateral discussions in Shanghai on the occasion of the Conference of World City Bar Leaders in September 2004 showed that a broader view of the picture was necessary. As a result, the project became slowly national, then European and finally global.

2007

In April 2007, on the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the Inter Pacific Bar Organisation in Beijing, a group of speakers and arbitration experts including a Board Member of the Hamburg Bar Organisation and representatives from CIETAC gathered in Beijing and decided that it would make sense to pursue the project further. As a consequence, numerous discussions took place on the occasion of further international conferences (e.g. in Vienna, Singapore, Moscow and New York). In particular, on 15 October 2007 the Hamburg Bar Organisation invited 32 experts from 17 countries to a kick-off luncheon at the Singapore Cricket Club. On that occasion, the project was presented for the first time in a formal and organized way to the international community. It was decided unanimously to proceed. Within the next months, the project attracted approximately 470 supporters from 47 countries.

2008

In July 2008, the non-profit Chinese European Legal Association e.V. (CELA) was founded. CELA supports the interaction and exchange between China and Europe regarding issues of law and legal culture, including issues of avoidance of international disputes relating to China and the settlement and resolution of such disputes. This includes the creation of the Chinese European Arbitration Centre in Hamburg and education related to the above-mentioned topics. CELA was registered with the Hamburg Register of Associations on 5 August 2008.

The Chinese European Arbitration Centre GmbH was founded on 02 September 2008 and registered with the commercial register on 12 September 2008. As of 18 September 2008 the Chinese European Arbitration Centre has been inaugurated and ist commencing its activities.