Jay Chen Invited to Speak on Cross-Border Manufacturing Disputes and Mediation at Shenzhen–Huizhou Legal Cooperation Event
Jay Chen shares practical insights on international manufacturing contract risks and cross-border trade dispute mediation at the Shenzhen–Huizhou legal cooperation event.
SHENZHEN, China — September 2026
Jay Chen (Chen Zhifeng), Partner at Guangdong Zhuojian Law Firm, was invited to speak at the launch ceremony of the Shenzhen–Huizhou Cross-Regional Coordinated Mediation Mechanism, held on 18 September 2026 at the Longgang Enterprise Internationalization Service Base in Shenzhen.
Jay Chen discusses cross-border electronics manufacturing disputes at the Shenzhen–Huizhou legal cooperation event.
The event was held under the guidance of the Shenzhen Municipal Justice Bureau and Huizhou Municipal Justice Bureau and brought together representatives from judicial administrative authorities, local governments, manufacturing enterprises, mediators and legal professionals from Shenzhen and Huizhou.
According to an official report published by the Justice Bureau of Longgang District, Shenzhen, the initiative is intended to strengthen cross-regional dispute resolution, reduce barriers arising from administrative boundaries, and provide more efficient mediation services for businesses and individuals operating across Shenzhen and Huizhou.
During the event, representatives of six government and judicial administrative bodies signed a cooperation agreement on promoting cross-regional people’s mediation and jointly inaugurated the Shenzhen–Huizhou Cross-Border Mediation Offices.
Addressing Legal Risks in International Manufacturing and Trade
Following the launch ceremony, Jay Chen delivered a presentation entitled:
“Legal Risks in International Electronics Manufacturing Service Contracts and Mediation of Cross-Border Trade Disputes.”
Presentation title slide: legal risks in international electronics manufacturing contracts and cross-border trade dispute mediation.
The official report of the Longgang District Justice Bureau identified Chen as a Guangdong Leading Lawyer in Foreign-Related Legal Services and Greater Bay Area Mediator, and noted that his presentation addressed legal risk management and dispute resolution in international electronics manufacturing contracts, covering issues from contract performance and evidence assessment to cross-border dispute resolution.
Drawing on his experience advising on international commercial transactions and disputes, Chen discussed several recurring risks in cross-border manufacturing relationships, including:
- uncertainty over the identity and responsibilities of contracting parties;
- insufficiently defined product specifications and quality standards;
- uncontrolled engineering or product changes;
- ineffective inspection and acceptance mechanisms;
- excessive or unclear allocation of contractual liability; and
- dispute resolution clauses that may prove difficult to use in practice.
One of the central themes of the presentation was that a manufacturing dispute should not automatically be treated as a simple product-quality issue. In international supply chains, disputes frequently involve overlapping questions concerning contractual standards, design or specification changes, inspection and acceptance, causation, evidence and the contractual allocation of liability.
As a result, the financial exposure arising from a manufacturing dispute can sometimes extend substantially beyond the original value of the relevant purchase order.
A Structured Approach to Cross-Border Commercial Disputes
Chen also introduced a practical five-step framework for reviewing cross-border commercial disputes:
Identify the parties → Identify the contract → Identify the breach → Identify the loss → Identify the settlement bottom line
The approach is intended to help businesses and legal practitioners separate the key legal and commercial issues in complex international trade disputes before deciding whether to pursue negotiation, mediation, arbitration or litigation.
For international buyers sourcing products from China, early identification of these issues can be particularly important. Problems concerning the correct contracting entity, payment recipient, product specifications, inspection records, communications regarding modifications and evidence of loss can materially affect the ability to pursue a claim against a Chinese supplier.
Mediation as Part of Cross-Border Dispute Resolution
The Shenzhen–Huizhou initiative reflects the growing use of coordinated mediation mechanisms to address commercial disputes involving interconnected manufacturing and supply chains.
Longgang and Huiyang are both significant manufacturing areas with closely connected industrial and supply chains. According to the Longgang District Justice Bureau, the new mechanism establishes arrangements for coordinated mediation, information sharing, joint dispute handling, consultation and mediator development.
The initiative also places particular emphasis on supporting enterprises engaged in international business. The official report states that the relevant authorities intend to use the enterprise internationalization service platform to strengthen the handling of foreign-related disputes and provide legal guidance for enterprises involved in cross-border trade and overseas investment.
During the discussion session, Chen and other legal professionals responded to questions from business representatives and mediators concerning cross-regional disputes and foreign-related legal services.
About Jay Chen
Jay Chen (Chen Zhifeng) is a PRC-qualified lawyer and Partner at Guangdong Zhuojian Law Firm in Shenzhen. He has over 15 years of legal experience, combining private practice with prior in-house legal experience at Foxconn, Hytera and Avnet.
His practice focuses on cross-border commercial disputes, international trade and commercial contracts, China supplier and manufacturing disputes, foreign investment and China market entry, and employment and labour matters for companies.
He has substantial experience advising foreign companies and international business clients on transactions and disputes involving Chinese suppliers, manufacturers and commercial counterparties, including contract review and drafting, demand letters, settlement negotiations, mediation, arbitration and litigation.
Chen is also a Guangdong Leading Lawyer in Foreign-Related Legal Services and a Greater Bay Area Mediator.
Through both legal practice and professional mediation work, he continues to assist domestic and international businesses in managing legal risks arising from cross-border trade, manufacturing and investment.
Sources / Related Coverage
- Shenzhen Longgang District Justice Bureau – Official Report
- Guangdong Zhuojian Law Firm – Event Report