Haikou Forum Releases Declaration on Digital and Commercial Governance

The 2026 Global Business and Legal Conference in Haikou concluded with the release of a five-point declaration aimed at harmonizing international commercial rules and emerging digital governance. Issued by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade on behalf of participating business and legal delegates, the declaration calls for adherence to international legal norms, deeper supply chain collaboration, and the integration of commercial and legal practices. Participants, including former WTO Appellate Body Chairman Peter Van den Bossche, underscored an urgent need for cross-border consensus to govern artificial intelligence and manage the risks associated with rapid digital transformation.

As artificial intelligence and digital transformation reshape cross-border commerce, the absence of harmonized international rules leaves significant regulatory gaps. The declaration's focus on emerging sectors highlights an evolving push from multinational business and legal communities to construct multilateral frameworks that maintain supply chain continuity while preventing regulatory fragmentation.

The 2026 Global Business and Legal Conference opened on the morning of September 15 in Haikou, convening international legal practitioners and business representatives to address the challenges facing global commerce. During the event, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) issued the 2026 Global Business and Legal Conference Declaration on behalf of attendees, putting forward a five-point proposal focused on commercial cooperation and digital governance. The declaration outlines five principal commitments: upholding international rule of law to deepen industrial and supply chain cooperation; embracing digital and intelligent transformation to empower industry innovation; advancing the integration of law and commerce to share economic opportunities; encouraging open collaboration to advocate inclusive economic globalization; and building broad consensus to foster a fairer and more equitable global governance system. Domestic reporting indicated the conference focused on leveraging the rule of law to safeguard institutional opening-up. Speaking at the summit, CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin urged the global business and legal sectors to engage actively in legislative efforts covering emerging domains. Ren proposed establishing a diverse governance architecture that integrates state supervision, enterprise self-discipline, industry autonomy, and public oversight to tackle legal dilemmas arising in the digital and artificial intelligence era. International attendees echoed the need for coordinated legal frameworks to manage disruptive technologies and global economic shifts. Participants highlighted that artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green transition initiatives, and supply chain restructuring represent shared global hurdles requiring updated legal norms. Peter Van den Bossche, former chairman of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body, told attendees that the international community must accelerate consensus-building to mitigate the risks of unregulated artificial intelligence deployment. Van den Bossche warned that the potential hazards of AI could harm both enterprises and society, noting that many of these operational risks transcend the jurisdiction of any single nation's regulatory framework and require coordinated domestic and international rulemaking.