Mainland, HKSAR strengthen legal exchanges

Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah on Wednesday (July 28) signed records of meetings with the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) to strengthen legal ties between the mainland and the special administrative region.

Cheng, who began her visit to Beijing on Wednesday, met with SPC President Zhou Qiang and signed a record of meeting for enhancing exchanges and cooperation with Vice-President of the SPC He Rong.

According to the record meeting, the mainland will provide legal training courses for Hong Kong legal practitioners who have passed the GBA Legal Professional Examination. It will render support to Hong Kong legal practitioners to join the International Commercial Expert Committee of the SPC and serve as specially invited mediators and assessors of people's courts in the mainland. The two sides also aim to promote the work on mutual recognition of and assistance to bankruptcy proceedings.

Cheng highlighted that, by staying committed to the basis of "one country" and leveraging the benefits of "two systems", nine agreements on mutual legal assistance arrangements in civil and commercial matters were signed between the DoJ and the SPC after Hong Kong's return to the motherland, fully reflecting the importance of Article 95 of the Basic Law and the uniqueness of "one country, two systems".

Cheng also signed a record of meeting with Procurator-General of the SPP Zhang Jun to strengthen the learning and training for the public prosecutors of both sides. The two sides will also promote social development and the rule of law of the two places.

During her visit, Cheng also called on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council and met with Deputy Director of the HKMAO Deng Zhonghua to review the latest developments of Hong Kong.

Cheng said the National Security Law for Hong Kong has restored order and stability in society while demonstrating the trust of the central authorities in the HKSAR.

Cheng also discussed with Deng the participation of Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution professionals in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development.

She will continue her visit to Beijing on Thursday.

(Source: China Daily)