ABSTRACT
Mediation is an old method of dispute resolution worldwide. It involves a neutral third party, the mediator, helping the disputing parties to solve their conflict and reach a settlement. Mediators are the facilitators of the negotiation, but have no power or authority to make a decision or impose an outcome. The process of mediation is usually informal and rapid compared to formal arbitration or adjudication. Mediation has a timeless universality in China. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty a mediator position was established to dissolve conflicts and preserve harmony. Once mediation failed, the disputants could initiate a lawsuit. This coexistence of both civil and government mediation has been observed throughout the history. People’s mediation developed rapidly during the 1980s. In 1980, with some revisions, the 1956 Rules were republished. In 1981, the first national meeting on mediation was held to summarize the experiences and accomplishments of people’s mediation.
