Chongqing lawyers accelerate brand building in foreign-related legal services, supporting city's inland opening-up

Amid global economic in-depth integration and China's high-level opening-up, Chongqing in Southwest China, leveraging its unique position at the convergence of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, has emerged as a key hub for foreign-related legal services.

In the first half of this year, Chongqing recorded remarkable growth in its foreign-related legal services, with the number of cases handled by local lawyers surging by 62.3 percent year-on-year, while related revenue increased by 81.9 percent. The Chongqing Lawyers Association has rolled out multiple initiatives, including promoting joint-venture law firms with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and organizing training programs. These efforts aim to accelerate the development of foreign-related legal services brands with Chongqing characteristics, regional competitiveness, and nationwide influence, supporting Chongqing's goal of becoming a highland for inland opening-up.

In April this year, guided by the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Justice, a Chongqing-Hong Kong joint venture law firm was officially launched. Moving beyond the traditional referral-based model between the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas law firms, this joint venture adopts a collaborative framework in which firms from Chongqing and Hong Kong participate as equal partners and handle foreign-related legal matters in an integrated manner.

Notably, within just two months of its establishment, the firm entered into a strategic cooperation with Pakistan's Zoao Law Firm, a Chinese-funded law firm participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. This partnership has already yielded a series of cooperative legal outcomes between China and Pakistan.

Since Chongqing was designated in 2024 as a national pilot zone for Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao joint venture law firms, 10 local firms have signed joint venture agreements with Hong Kong counterparts. This achievement ranks Chongqing among the top regions nationwide in the number of newly signed agreements and second in total agreements in western China.

To further advance cooperation, the Chongqing Lawyers Association has compiled introductory materials for prospective Chongqing-Hong Kong joint venture firms, organized site visits for more than 20 prospective law firms, and worked with the Hong Kong Law Society to arrange matchmaking events.

To address the shortage of foreign-related legal talents, the association has developed a "1+4+N" talent cultivation system, comprising one special task force for international development coordination, four specialized committees targeting different aspects of foreign-related legal services, and a coordinated implementation mechanism involving numerous law firms.

As a result of these efforts, Chongqing now has a growing pool of 365 foreign-related legal professionals. Among them, 35 have been selected for the national foreign-related lawyer talent pool, over 120 specialize in ASEAN-related legal affairs, seven foreign legal advisors are employed by local firms, and 161 lawyers serve as international arbitrators or commercial mediators — forming a multigenerational talent structure.

Another major step forward is the establishment of the New International Western Land-Sea Trade Corridor International Legal Services District, which brings together foreign-related law firms, arbitration institutions, and foreign law ascertainment organizations to build a comprehensive legal service ecosystem. The district has attracted nine law firms to set up foreign-related legal service centers. Its international trade disputes legal service workstation helps enterprises resolved 23 cases involving overseas compliance risks within six months of trial operation.

Moreover, the city's establishment of the China-ASEAN Legal Service Center is now underway. In parallel, the Chongqing Hub Port International Legal Service Alliance has integrated resources from 21 law firms and built partnerships with law firms in ASEAN countries, enabling six Chongqing-based firms to open branches in Laos and Myanmar. These cooperative platforms are steadily becoming cornerstones for expanding the reach of Chongqing's legal services.

He Hongtao, president of the Chongqing Lawyers Association, highlighted Chongqing's unique role in the country's overall opening-up strategy and its regional advantages in developing foreign-related legal services, in terms of geographic position, strategic importance, legal resources, and global market potential.

Moving forward, he said the association will continue fostering more internationally recognized foreign-related legal service brands with Chongqing characteristics, regional competitiveness, and national influence.