30th May 2023 – (Beijing) Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, SC, embarked on a two-day visit to Beijing on May 29 to exchange views with senior officials from various ministries and authorities on issues of mutual interest. On May 30, he called on the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the National Development and Reform Commission to discuss the strengthening of legal exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the Mainland.
During his visit, Mr Lam met with Procurator-General Ying Yong to discuss the implementation of the Record of Meeting of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Department of Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Exchanges and Cooperation on Legal Matters. They also talked about strengthening the training for the staff of both sides and sharing their work experiences. Other important issues were also discussed.
Mr Lam also met with Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Cong Liang, to discuss advancing Hong Kong’s status as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region. They also discussed Hong Kong’s participation in and contribution to the country’s Belt and Road Initiative work plan, as well as developing Hong Kong into a training base for the country’s talent in the practice of foreign-related legal affairs.
During his visit, Mr Lam also called on the Supreme People’s Court to have an in-depth discussion on enhancing mutual legal assistance between the Mainland and Hong Kong. They also discussed deepening the legal systems’ connectivity within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-MacaoGreater Bay Area and promoting the nurturing of the country’s talent in the practice of foreign-related legal affairs.
At the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, Mr Lam met with Vice Chairman Weng Jieming to explore implementing measures to better utilize the advantages of Hong Kong’s common law system and set up exchange mechanisms. The aim was to enable state-owned enterprises to have a better understanding of Hong Kong’s legal system and dispute resolution services. They also discussed ways to contribute to the country’s cultivation of a team of foreign-related legal talent.
Mr Lam then met with Deputy Director of the National Supervisory Commission, Zhang Fuhai, to explore further strengthening the legal exchange, cooperation, and staff training between the two places on important issues including anti-corruption and anti-money laundering.