fact, that there has been an increase in the number of arbitrations, continuing the general trend in Hong Kong in which international arbitration is seen as the preferred method of resolving commercial disputes. The increased flexibility and confidentiality that international arbitration offers makes it a popular option for commercial parties, and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) remains one of the leading global arbitral institutions, receiving its highest number of filings in over a decade in 2022. We continue to see truly pan-Asian and global disputes seated in Hong Kong under HKIAC and other rules, but with the benefit of various agreements with Mainland China, Hong Kong is particularly popular for disputes with a Mainland element. For example, this year parties to Hong Kong arbitrations have made regular use of the 2019 Hong Kong-Mainland China arrangement on interim measures, the city cautiously reopens itself to retail investment in cryptocurrencies through its brand-new regulatory scheme for virtual asset trading platforms overseen by the Securities and Futures Commission. International arbitration has remained a highly popular dispute resolution tool in Hong Kong this year, as I cover in more detail below. What other developments have you seen in your own practice this year? Do these trends fit a broader pattern of developments in commercial litigation from previous years? A large proportion of the new commercial disputes instructions we have received have been to act as counsel in arbitrations. It is clear, in THOUGHT LEADER 61 The increased flexibility and confidentiality that international arbitration offers makes it a popular option for commercial parties.
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