Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, leading a delegation of over 30 representatives of foreign-related legal talent from Hong Kong, arrived in Guangzhou today for the start of his visit to Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area.

In the morning, Mr Lam called on the People's Government of Guangdong Province where he met Guangdong Province Vice-Governor Liu Guozhou.

Mr Lam also had a meeting with government officials there to learn about the latest developments in Guangdong Province and the bay area.

They exchanged views on the opportunities for further co-operation between the Hong Kong legal sector, and the Mainland authorities, legal and business sectors.

The meeting was joined by representatives from the province’s Department of Justice, Development & Reform Commission, State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission and the Department of Commerce, as well as the State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of Guangdong Province.

In the afternoon, Mr Lam and the delegation held discussions with representatives from the Guangdong legal and business sectors, including the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Guangdong Committee, the Guangdong Lawyers Association, the Guangdong Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment and the Guangdong Federation of Industry & Commerce.

Through exchanges on common practical issues, the two sides explored foreign-related legal issues relevant to Guangdong enterprises going global, including corporate finance and the handling of foreign-related commercial disputes, and shared practical experiences in tackling such issues.

The participants also explored how law firms in both places can further co-operate and provide high-quality legal services to jointly contribute to the construction of the country's foreign-related rule of law.

In the evening, Mr Lam and the group will visit the Shamian Cluster, one of the heritage revitalisation and conservation projects in Guangzhou, which is a national heritage conservation unit listed by the State Council.