Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today called on the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the National Development & Reform Commission to exchange views with senior officials of the ministries and authorities on issues of mutual interest.

On the second day of his visit to the capital, Mr Lam and the officials in his entourage called on the Supreme People's Procuratorate this morning to meet Procurator-General Ying Yong to discuss the strengthening of legal exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

They also discussed the implementation of the Record of Meeting of the Supreme People's Procuratorate & the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Department of Justice on Exchanges & Co-operation on Legal Matters, so as to strengthen the training for the staff of both sides, and to share their work experiences. Other important issues were also examined.

In the afternoon, Mr Lam met National Development & Reform Commission Deputy Director Cong Liang to discuss and exchange views on topics including advancing Hong Kong's status as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region, participating in and contributing to the country's Belt & Road Initiative work plan, and developing Hong Kong into a training base for the country's talent in the practice of foreign-related legal affairs.

On the first day of his visit, the justice chief called on the Supreme People's Court and met its President Zhang Jun to have an in-depth discussion on topics including enhancing mutual legal assistance between the Mainland and Hong Kong, deepening the legal systems' connectivity within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and promoting the nurturing of the country's talent in the practice of foreign-related legal affairs, and to consider concrete implementation work.

Mr Lam also visited the State Council’s State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission and met its Vice Chairman Weng Jieming to explore implementing measures to better utilise the advantages of Hong Kong's common law system and setting up exchange mechanisms, with a view to enabling state-owned enterprises to have a better understanding of Hong Kong's legal system and dispute resolution services.

Both sides also discussed ways to contribute to the country's cultivation of a team of foreign-related legal talent.

In addition, Mr Lam met National Supervisory Commission Deputy Director Zhang Fuhai to explore further strengthening the legal exchange, co-operation and staff training between the two places on important issues including anti-corruption and anti-money laundering.