Vice-minister of justice addresses forum on legal construction in GBA

A forum on promoting the rule of law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) was held in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, on Nov 11. 

Vice-Minister of Justice Xiong Xuanguo attended and addressed the forum via video link.

Xiong pointed out that promoting GBA construction is a major national strategy personally planned, deployed and promoted by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. It is an important measure to advance high-level opening-up, and a major practice in promoting the steady and sustained development of "one country, two systems".

The report delivered at the 20th CPC National Congress said China will continue to develop the GBA and support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating themselves into the country's overall development and playing a greater role in realizing national rejuvenation.

The construction of the rule of law is an important part in the construction of the GBA. The role of legal guarantees should be fully leveraged to advance the high-quality construction of the GBA. 

In recent years, the Ministry of Justice has resolutely implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, given full play to the pioneering role of Guangdong in reform and opening-up, and actively explored new approaches and mechanisms for enhancing exchanges and cooperation of the legal service industry between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, constantly making new achievements in the GBA's legal service cooperation and construction.

Xiong stressed that efforts should be made to deepen Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao legal service cooperation and to promote the coordinated development of legal services in the GBA and accelerate the construction of an international legal service center, commercial dispute resolution center and arbitration center for commercial affairs to enhance the GBA's international legal service brand.

Measures should be taken to improve pilot work of lawyers from Hong Kong and Macao practicing law in other cities of the GBA and to deepen pragmatic cooperation on talent cultivation and legal service institution construction among the three regions, so as to contribute more to the building of high-quality legal service talent highland in the GBA.