DSJ fosters HK-Hainan co-operation to seize Hainan Free Trade Port opportunities (with photos)
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The Hainan Legal Week, themed "Law-based Free Trade Port‧Sharing New Opportunities", brought together legal experts and representatives of enterprises from China and overseas. Addressing the opening ceremony, Dr Cheung remarked that with the official launch of the island-wide independent customs operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port in December this year, the establishment of a more flexible and efficient legal and regulatory system will be beneficial for trade and investment. He pointed out that Hong Kong can share its experiences on the construction of the rule of law, including interfaces of regulatory frameworks, foreign-related legal talent, and international economic and trade rules.
He said that Hong Kong would be happy to share its practical experiences in promoting the interface of regulatory frameworks in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in collaboration with Guangdong Province and Macao, as well as details of the measures of allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law and allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to choose Hong Kong as the seat of arbitration, which have been well received by the business community, as a reference for strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Hainan.
Dr Cheung added that legal and other professional services are important to the free trade port development. Hong Kong is home to a rich pool of foreign-related legal talent and serves as an international legal hub. With the staunch support from the Central Government, the International Organization for Mediation is headquartered in Hong Kong. Hong Kong welcomes Hainan's arbitration and mediation institutions to establish a presence to jointly expand the market for international dispute resolution services and achieve synergistic development. The Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy can also enhance co-operation with Hainan to contribute to nurturing more high-quality foreign-related legal talent for Hainan. Additionally, with its civil and commercial laws compatible with international practice, Hong Kong is familiar with global economic and trade rules and would be ready to share its experiences with Hainan.
Upon his arrival yesterday (October 15), Dr Cheung attended a dinner with leaders of the Department of Justice of Hainan Province, and representatives from the legal and dispute resolution services sectors. This afternoon, he had lunch with leaders of the Party Committee and the Department of Justice of Hainan Province as well as the Ministry of Justice to exchange views on how Hong Kong and Hainan could jointly seize new opportunities brought about by the Hainan Free Trade Port. He then attended a meeting with leaders, including Vice Minister General of the United Front Work Department of Hainan Committe of the Communist Party of China Ms Kang Baiying, the Director-General of the Department of Justice of Hainan Province, Mr Wang Lei, and Vice President of the High People's Court of Hainan Province Ms Xia Junli, to discuss fostering legal services co-operation between Hong Kong and Hainan.
Dr Cheung said that this year marks the preparatory year for the National 15th Five-Year Plan, as well as the beginning of Hainan Province's Free Trade Port's independent customs operation and its further opening up to the world. Hong Kong's internationalised legal and other professional services talent can offer support to the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, creating vast development opportunities for the industries. He said that Hainan and Hong Kong's complementary advantages will jointly contribute to the country's high-quality development and high-level opening up.
Tomorrow (October 17), the Hainan Legal Week will hold a seminar on the integrated development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the GBA. The Department of Justice representative will share how the experience on the implementation of the interface of mechanisms of GBA would support the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port. Dr Cheung will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
Ends/Thursday, October 16, 2025
Issued at HKT 17:56
Issued at HKT 17:56
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