Minister of justice meets with Hong Kong’s secretary for justice

Minister of Justice He Rong met with a delegation led by Paul Lam Ting-Kwok, secretary for justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing on Dec 17. They discussed deepening cooperation on legal services and the cultivation of legal talents, and promoting the development of the rule of law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

He Rong noted that the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee underscored harnessing the institutional strengths of the "one country, two systems" policy and deepening cooperation within the GBA.

She emphasized that the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has thoroughly implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee on promoting the development of the GBA. Efforts have been made by the MOJ to establish a legal service consultation mechanism within the GBA, improve the pilot program allowing Hong Kong and Macao lawyers to practice in mainland cities within the GBA, enhance policies on legal services opening to Hong Kong and Macao, and work with Hong Kong's judicial and legal circles to achieve concrete progress in advancing the rule of law within the GBA, she added.

Moving forward, the MOJ will continue to enhance communication and exchanges with the Department of Justice of the HKSAR, focusing on strengthening alignment of rules and mechanisms within the GBA, He Rong said. She added that policies and measures related to arbitration services for the high-quality development of the GBA will be introduced to support Hong Kong in building itself as a center for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region.

She called for efforts to advance the construction of platforms for lawyer liaison services and legal information sharing within the GBA, and to foster more practical cooperation in areas such as lawyers, arbitration, commercial mediation, and the cultivation of legal talent, in a bid to provide legal support for Hong Kong's proactive alignment with national strategies and the high-quality development of the GBA.

Lam said he hoped to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the MOJ, and further leverage the strengths of Hong Kong's judicial and legal circles to promote the GBA's development and facilitate Hong Kong's integration into the overall development of the country.

Vice-Minister of Justice Li Mingzheng also attended the meeting.