The China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC) will set up an arbitration centre in Hong Kong to provide arbitration services for international maritime disputes.

This is the first of such a centre outside the mainland, the Hong Kong government said in a release.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) welcomed the establishment of the CMAC Hong Kong Arbitration Centre (CMAC HK).

"Being the sole maritime arbitration institution in Mainland China, CMAC's presence in Hong Kong would further enhance Hong Kong's role in the resolution of maritime disputes, and thereby reinforce our position as a leading centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia Pacific region," a spokesperson from the DoJ said.

The CMAC, being a permanent arbitration institution specialising in the resolution of foreign and domestic maritime disputes, was set up in 1959 under the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. It focuses on resolving maritime, admiralty and logistics disputes as well as other contractual and non-contractual disputes through arbitration. Apart from its headquarters in Beijing, CMAC has so far only established three sub-commissions in Shanghai, Chongqing and Tianjin.

The inauguration ceremony of the CMAC HK will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 19 November.