Chief Justice and President of the Supreme People's Court Zhang Jun meets with a delegation headed by Paul Lam Ting-kwok, secretary for justice of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in Beijing on July 10. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Chief Justice and President of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) Zhang Jun met with a delegation headed by Paul Lam Ting-kwok, secretary for justice of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing on July 10.

Zhang extended a warm welcome to the delegation and said that the "one country, two systems" principle is the best institutional arrangement to maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong and Macao SARs. The HKSAR's enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in March has further consolidated the legal shield for safeguarding national security, tapped into Hong Kong's unique advantages and injected strong momentum into the region's shift from stability to prosperity, Zhang said.

The central government has always comprehensively and accurately implemented the "one country, two systems" principle, and supported the chief executive and government of HKSAR in uniting all sectors of society to seize the opportunities brought by the country's development to make Hong Kong a better place, he said. Zhang added that he hoped the HKSAR's Department of Justice would consolidate and expand Hong Kong's rule of law advantages, showcase its law-based business environment to the world that features more safety, freedom, openness and predictability, and continue to inject legal momentum into the region's development.

Zhang briefed the delegation on topics of common interest such as the civil and commercial judicial assistance system between the mainland and Hong Kong, rule-of-law development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, foreign-related rule of law development, and the operation of the people's courts online case archive. The SPC will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation with Hong Kong's Department of Justice and strive for new consensus and cooperation in areas such as improving and optimizing the inter-regional judicial assistance system, he said. Zhang added that the SPC will support Hong Kong in maintaining its common law advantages and aligning with the national strategy of the Greater Bay Area, so as to consolidate the region's unique position and advantages, and contribute to long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and the steady implementation of the "one country, two systems".

Lam thanked Zhang for the meeting and said that the HKSAR's Department of Justice will always bear in mind the important relationship between security and development, strictly implement the SAR's legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security and safeguard the rule of law in Hong Kong. He also said he hopes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with courts at all levels on the mainland, and participate in the country's high-quality development in a bid to jointly advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The two sides also discussed the delivery service for judicial documents and personnel training.