9th training session of China-AALCO Exchange and Research Program on International Law held in Beijing and HK

The 9th training session of the China-AALCO Exchange and Research Program on International Law was successfully held in Beijing and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Initiated by the China International Development Cooperation Agency and co-organized by China Foreign Affairs University and the Asian Academy of International Law, the event brought together 35 legal officials from the African Union Commission, the Secretariat of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization, China's Hong Kong and Macao SARs, as well as 31 Asian and African countries.

During the training session, participants were invited to attend the 4th Forum on Developing Countries and International Law and engage in in-depth discussions.

The program featured lectures on some of the most pressing issues in international law, delivered by leading legal scholars and practitioners from China and abroad. In Beijing, participants explored topics including the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), international dispute settlement, international humanitarian law, China's legal system and the relationship between international law and domestic law. The courses in Hong Kong focused on the legal framework under the "one country, two systems" policy, Hong Kong's economic and trade development, international investment law, air and outer space law, and the role of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed).

To complement the academic program and reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum, participants also took part in a series of field visits. They took part in traditional Chinese culture courses in Beijing and visited the Beijing Intellectual Property Court. While in Hong Kong, they visited the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong, the IOMed, the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR government, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal and the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Participants expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for providing this valuable learning opportunity. They said that the training session enabled them to witness the achievements of Chinese modernization and the development of the rule of law as well as the successful practice of the "one country, two systems" policy. They also said that the program deepened their understanding of the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the GGI, prompted them to reflect on how the Global South countries could work together to make greater contributions to international rule of law, and helped forge profound friendships.

The China-AALCO Exchange and Research Program on International Law was launched at the 2015 Asian-African Summit to promote exchanges and cooperation among Asian and African countries in international law.

Since its launch, nine widely acclaimed training sessions have been conducted, which were attended by more than 300 legal and diplomatic officials from over 40 Asian and African countries.