Minister of justice surveys foreign-related legal services in Shenzhen

From Jan 3 to 4, Minister of Justice He Rong conducted a survey on foreign-related legal services in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, and carried out an on-site inspection of the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration to gain insight into its construction and development.

He Rong stressed the need to thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the guiding principles of the remarks by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, at the 10th group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

She called for concrete measures in promoting the development of foreign-related legal services, bolstering an arbitration legal system with Chinese characteristics that aligns with international norms, and accelerating the cultivation of first-class international arbitration institutions and law firms.

She also urged efforts to expedite the amendment of the Arbitration Law, and focus on increasing the openness of the foreign-related arbitration system and the competitiveness of both arbitration committees and arbitrators and refining arbitration rules, so as to comprehensively enhance the international credibility and influence of those services in China.

The minister emphasized the need to actively explore the feasibility of having designated individuals conduct arbitrations in foreign-related fields according to specific arbitration rules. This should be done at designated domestic locations within the free trade pilot zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port. This practice aims to encourage both Chinese and foreign enterprises to choose and trust Chinese arbitration institutions for dispute resolution.

Currently, the Ministry of Justice is facilitating pilot projects for the establishment of international commercial arbitration centers in such provincial-level regions as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Hainan, with a vision of gradually establishing various top-tier international arbitration institutions nationwide.

She expressed the hope that Guangdong and Shenzhen will continue to explore and innovate by leveraging their advantages in connecting with Hong Kong and Macao and the global community.

She urged them to further refine their commercial arbitration system to align with international standards and to establish an effective dispute resolution mechanism that integrates arbitration, mediation, and litigation, in a bid to contribute to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and to serve high-quality economic and social development.

Yuan Gujie, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and secretary of the Political and Legal Commission of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, and officials from Shenzhen's competent departments, also participated in the survey.