The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the establishment of a high-level preparatory group for aligning with the 15th Five-Year Plan and convened the group's first meeting today.

The preparatory group is chaired by Secretary for Justice Paul Lam and vice-chaired by Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan. Members include the Law Officer (Civil Law), the Solicitor General, the Law Officer (International Law), and the Director of Administration & Development of the DoJ. The secretaries of the group are the Principal Government Counsel of the Legal Enhancement & Development Office and the Director of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Office.

In its first meeting, the preparatory group discussed the DoJ's key areas of development, staffing and resource allocation under the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Once the contents and details of the 15th Five-Year Plan are released, the preparatory group will be converted into a working group to advance various tasks of proactively aligning with the 15th Five-Year Plan.

As directed by the Chief Executive, Hong Kong's five-year blueprint in aligning with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan will be completed within this year, further promoting Hong Kong's better integration into and contribution to the overall national development.

Mr Lam said that as the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan begins, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, which set out Hong Kong's strategic position as the "three centres and a hub", to consolidate and enhance the city's status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, and to support Hong Kong in building itself into an international hub for high-calibre talent.

In promoting the development of the rule of law, the recommendations include accelerating the development of a foreign-related legal system and capabilities, and improving mediation, arbitration and litigation mechanisms for international commercial disputes.

Mr Lam highlighted that in the 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong can strive to play its role by showcasing its strengths in internationalised, high-standard and highly credible legal and dispute resolution services, and by actively contributing to the training of international legal talent.

The Secretary for Justice noted that by proactively aligning with the 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong will further contribute to the country's efforts in promoting the foreign-related rule of law and in building a higher-level of rule of law in China.