The 14th Five-Year Plan provides the blueprint for the nation’s social and economic developments from 2021 to 2025, and also sets the path for Hong Kong’s development.
I am delighted to learn that the “Proposal for the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035” supports Hong Kong to be an international legal and dispute resolution center in the Asia Pacific region.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) would fully utilize Hong Kong’s unique advantages in legal and dispute resolution service to support and complement the development of our country.
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The DoJ has been liaising with the relevant Chinese mainland authorities, striving to implement more liberalization measures and new initiatives in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to the benefit of our legal and dispute resolution service sector.
The Department of Justice would fully utilize Hong Kong’s unique advantages in legal and dispute resolution service to support and complement the development of our country
Two recent major breakthroughs which would facilitate the promotion of our services in the Greater Bay Area include the “GBA Legal Professional Examination” and “Supplemental Arrangement Concerning Mutual Enforcement of Arbitral Awards between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”.
The DoJ is working with the Chinese mainland to enhance cooperation on issues relating to legal and dispute resolution services in civil and commercial matters, as well as to promote collaboration with international and regional bodies.
On the premise of “one country, two systems” and the principle of reciprocity and mutual benefits, Hong Kong should continue to consolidate and enhance its role and positioning in the 14th Five-Year Plan in order to contribute to the long-term development of Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area as well as the whole country.
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To this end, the DoJ and I are fully committed to capitalizing on our strengths in the area of legal and dispute resolution services so as to integrate into the development of our country, as well as contribute to the prosperity of our country.
The writer is Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice.