2nd June 2023 – (Beijing) The Secretary for Justice, Mr. Paul Lam, SC, has concluded his visit to Beijing on 2nd June . During his trip, he called on the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr. Xia Baolong, to report on his visit and the latest developments related to the rule of law in Hong Kong. Mr. Lam expressed his appreciation for the support and encouragement received from Mr. Xia and affirmed the Department of Justice‘s commitment to implement the principle of “one country, two systems.”
In addition to his meeting with Mr. Xia, Mr. Lam attended various annual exchange meetings with officials from several ministries, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Commerce. During these meetings, he discussed issues such as the alignment and harmonization of legal rules and mechanisms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, pilot measures for legal practitioners to practice in the area, and legal talent exchanges and training.
Mr. Lam also met with officials from the Research Office of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee and Macao Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress to discuss the progress of the HKSAR’s work on the implementation of national laws and related matters.
Mr. Lam affirmed the Department of Justice’s commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and to leveraging Hong Kong’s unique strengths as the only common law jurisdiction in the country. He also reiterated the department’s commitment to proactively integrating into the overall development of the country and contributing to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Mr. Lam returned to Hong Kong on June 2, and the Department of Justice will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.