As the core area of the "Belt and Road" Initiative and China's gateway to the west, Xinjiang is writing a new chapter in legal services with its unique geographical advantages. On November 29, 2025, the 3rd Tahota "Belt and Road" Legal Service Innovation and Development Forum 2025 was successfully held at the Hilton Urumqi Hotel. The forum was co-hosted by the Urumqi Lawyers Association, Tahota "Belt and Road" Legal Service Center, and Tahota Central Asia Legal Research Institute; co-organized by the Kashgar Branch of Shenzhen International Court of Arbitration, the School of Politics and Law of Xinjiang Normal University, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Foreign Economic and Trade Association; and jointly undertaken by Tahota (Urumqi) Law Firm and Tahota Law Firm (Almaty) Office.

With the theme of "Unite for a New Journey", this forum brought together elites from legal, academic, corporate, financial and other fields to share cutting-edge insights, explore new opportunities for legal services under the "Belt and Road" Initiative, and jointly map out a new blueprint for cross-border cooperation.

Wang Huiming, Vice President of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Lawyers Association and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Urumqi Lawyers Industry, delivered a speech on behalf of the industry associations. He stated that this forum serves as an important platform for pooling industry wisdom, addressing development challenges, and discussing cooperation strategies. Legal professionals should seize opportunities in the new era, deepen the innovation of legal services, enhance the level of legal collaboration, and let the light of the rule of law illuminate every step of the "Belt and Road" construction.

Chen Tong, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Xinjiang Normal University, pointed out from an academic perspective that legal research on Central Asia and talent cultivation are crucial foundations for supporting cross-border cooperation. He expressed the expectation that with the forum as a link, the cooperation between universities and law firms will be deepened to cultivate and deliver more interdisciplinary talents for legal services under the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

Major Announcement

The Official Opening of Tahota's Almaty Office

The establishment of the Almaty Office signifies that Tahota has officially integrated into an economic corridor spanning Eurasia, gaining access to a new highland of legal services full of potential, vitality and opportunities. Zhai Fangyuan, Managing Partner of Tahota Almaty Office, introduced the relevant situation and business cooperation progress of the office. He stated that adhering to professionalism and empathy, Tahota Almaty Office will build a bridge for legal services between China and Kazakhstan, contributing to the construction of the "Belt and Road" Initiative and the global cause of the rule of law.

Inauguration Ceremony of Tahota Central Asia Legal Research Institute

Attorney Cheng Shoutai, Chief Partner of Tahota Law Firm, Attorney Ma Chunyan, Partner of the firm, Attorney Bai Li, Dean of Tahota Central Asia Legal Research Institute, and Wang Xiaofeng, Executive Dean, jointly unveiled the plaque for Tahota Central Asia Legal Research Institute. The institute will focus on the research of legal systems in Central Asian countries, the innovation of cross-border legal practice, and the exploration of dispute resolution mechanisms, so as to provide forward-looking intellectual support for cross-border economic and trade activities.

Signing Ceremony of the Strategic Cooperation Agreement Between Tahota and Fazhigu

Attorney Bai Li, Executive Director of Tahota (Urumqi) Law Firm, and Gulbanu Abdurexiti, Chairman of Xinjiang Fazhigu Project Management Consulting Co., Ltd., signed the Strategic Cooperation Agreement. The two parties will conduct in-depth collaboration in areas such as legal technology R&D, foreign-related legal talent training, and cross-border legal service resource integration, so as to provide more comprehensive and professional legal support for enterprises along the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

Attorney Cheng Shoutai, Chief Partner of Tahota Law Firm, delivered a keynote speech. He stated that Xinjiang is evolving from a "transportation hub" to a "rule of law hub" and serves as a frontier platform for foreign-related rule of law. Chinese lawyers should also transform their role from service providers to system co-builders, achieve local integration through the "Three Integrations," and build cross-regional collaboration capabilities based on the "Five Extensions." Over the next five years, lawyers can leverage their professional expertise in areas such as the upgrading of traditional legal fields, the construction of emerging rules, and cross-border arbitration, addressing environmental uncertainties with the certainty of the rule of law to support the steady and long-term development of China-Central Asia cooperation.

Part 1: Exploring a New Ecosystem for Cross-Border Investment

Attorney Zhang Tianyi, Partner of Tahota Law Firm, delivered a speech titled "Legal Risks in Central Asian Energy Project Investments". He conducted an in-depth analysis of the investment potential and potential risks in the Central Asian energy market, and proposed risk control strategies, providing valuable practical experience for the participants.

Attorney Zhang Kaixiang, Partner of Tahota Law Firm, delivered a presentation themed "Investment Opportunities and Legal Challenges in the Central Asian Mining Market". Combining the differences in mining policies across Central Asian countries and industry practices, he elaborated on the key legal practice points in critical links of mining projects, providing professional guidance for enterprises to accurately seize investment opportunities.

Attorney Bai Li, Executive Director of Tahota (Urumqi) Law Firm, focused on the topic "Legal Escort Strategies and Pathways for Chinese Construction Enterprises Going Global to Central Asia (Kazakhstan)". Drawing on her extensive practical experience and real-world cases of Chinese construction enterprises expanding into Central Asia, she shared a "pitfall-avoidance guide" and compliance solutions for construction enterprises' overseas ventures from a practical perspective.

Attorney Wang Zhenhua, Partner of Tahota Law Firm, put forward unique insights on the topic "Exploring Data Value to Empower Better Development of China-Central Asia Economic and Trade Cooperation". He elaborated on how to empower the sustainable development of China-Central Asia economic and trade relations through data compliance, providing new ideas for cross-border cooperation in the digital economy era.

Part 2: Safeguarding the Entire Chain of Enterprises' Global Expansion

Zhu Zhiwei, Chairman of Xinjiang Border Hotel Co., Ltd., delivered a sharing session themed From Port to Market: New Explorations on Compliance Paths and Risk Prevention for Foreign Trade Enterprises Integrating into the "Belt and Road" Initiative. Drawing on his years of practical experience in foreign trade operations, he elaborated on the compliance paths, risk prevention insights, and legal service needs for foreign trade enterprises to integrate into the "Belt and Road" Initiative as they expand from ports to markets.

Hua Hui, Chief of the Public Legal Service Management Section of the Kashi Prefectural Bureau of Justice, delivered a presentation titled Taking Law as Wings to Escort Opening-Up: Vigorously Building a New Highland for Foreign-Related Legal Services in the Kashi Area. She introduced the measures and achievements of the Kashi Area in constructing a new highland for foreign-related legal services, providing enterprises with a reference for localized and one-stop services.

Xie Weimin, General Counsel of the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) and Dean of its Kashi Branch, delivered a speech titled Diversified Resolution of Commercial Disputes Under the "Belt and Road" Initiative – Taking the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration as an Example. He elaborated on the advantages and applicable scenarios of diversified dispute resolution methods such as arbitration, mediation, and negotiation, providing new options for the efficient resolution of cross-border commercial disputes.

Part 3:  Roundtable Seminar

The roundtable was hosted by Wang Xiaofeng, Consultant of Tahota Law Firm (Urumqi) and Executive Director of Tahota Central Asia Legal Research Institute. Six guests from the academic, financial, corporate, and legal practice sectors – including He Changchun, CEO of Shanghai Wanyi Logistics Technology Co., Ltd.; Wang Junsheng, Vice President of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) Urumqi Branch; Cai Keyun, Dean of the Law School of Xinjiang University; Gan Jianming, Managing Partner of Tahota Law Firm (Bangkok); and Zheng Wenwen, Hu Xian, Partners of Tahota Law Firm – conducted in-depth discussions around the new trends of legal services amid the development of the "Belt and Road" Initiative. From diverse perspectives, all participants jointly predicted and depicted the future development landscape of legal services, which will place greater emphasis on cross-domain integration, financial empowerment, technology-driven innovation, and ecological co-construction.

In Xinjiang, we envision the future; from Xinjiang, we march toward it. This forum is not only a convergence of industry wisdom but also a solemn commitment of Tahota to deepen legal services under the "Belt and Road" Initiative. It is our hope that through this forum, the industry, enterprises, and lawyers will seize opportunities within rules, unlock value through cooperation, and foster prosperity based on trust. Tahota will continue to uphold the spirit of openness and cooperation, joining hands with partners from all sectors to jointly embark on a new journey of China-Central Asia legal cooperation!