The interior of the The Putuo Marine Governance Center in Putuo district, Zhoushan, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

The Putuo Marine Governance Center in Putuo district, Zhoushan, Zhejiang province was launched on Dec 11, according to local media reports.

The center, which is the first physical one-stop maritime dispute resolution center in the province, integrates resources and efforts from multiple departments to achieve comprehensive perception, early warning analysis, mediation, and enforcement guarantees of maritime disputes.

On the same day, the center mediated a dispute over the cleanup costs resulting from an oil spill caused by a collision between two maritime vessels last October, which reduced the litigation time and costs for the involved companies and played a positive role in creating a better business environment.

The center has also invited associations of maritime shipping, shipbuilding, ocean shipping, and oil-related industries to settle in. By establishing mechanisms such as dispute coordination, safety cooperation, and emergency assistance, as well as a guarantee mechanism combining "public service + government procurement + paid service," it has provided a new approach to resolving maritime conflicts.

Moreover, the center has established an integrated "one-stop" international maritime commercial dispute resolution platform that seamlessly connects litigation, arbitration, and mediation. This platform not only offers diverse options for resolving disputes but also contributes to the deep integration of maritime judicial resources and civil and commercial mediation.

Authorities will also promote the digitalization and legalization of maritime dispute resolution, aiming to swiftly and properly resolve conflicts.