Abstract As part of the plan to implement China’s maritime power strategy and advance its Belt and Road Initiative, the development of a Global Maritime Dispute Resolution Center (GMDRC) in Qingdao has attracted increasing attention from scholars and policymakers. This study examines Qingdao to assess the conditions, challenges, and development prospects for building a GMDRC within China’s evolving maritime governance framework. Drawing on a problem-oriented and functional analytical approach, the paper analyzes Qingdao’s institutional foundations, maritime legal service capacity, and participation in global maritime governance. At the same time, it identifies key structural challenges in high-end legal services, foreign-related legal talent, and the integration of dispute resolution mechanisms. The findings suggest that, although it possesses significant economic and institutional advantages, Qingdao’s development as a GMDRC is still constrained by structural and professional factors. At the same time, the analysis highlights potential development pathways focused on strengthening institutional coordination, enhancing professional legal service capacity, and integrating dispute resolution mechanisms in line with international practice. By situating Qingdao’s experience within a comparative and institutional context, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the conditions under which emerging maritime cities may enhance their role in global maritime dispute resolution.
Yu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.