The ninth China-Singapore Legal and Judicial Roundtable is held in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong province, on Nov 18. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

The ninth China-Singapore Legal and Judicial Roundtable was held in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong province, on Nov 18. Zhang Jun, chief justice of China and president of China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC), attended the meeting and delivered a keynote speech. Sundaresh Menon, chief justice of Singapore, also gave a speech.

Zhang Jun, chief justice of China and president of the Supreme People’s Court of China, meets with Sundaresh Menon, chief justice of Singapore, and his delegation. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Prior to the roundtable, Zhang met with Menon and his delegation. During their meeting, Zhang noted that China and Singapore are close neighbors and important cooperation partners. Under the strategic guidance of both countries’ leaders, political mutual trust has been strengthened, and practical cooperation has made steady progress, serving as a model for mutual learning and win-win cooperation, Zhang said.

As this year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Zhang highlighted that legal and judicial collaboration—one of the priority areas in bilateral ties—has led to the establishment of a mature dialogue mechanism and a multi-layered framework for exchanges, as well as numerous tangible outcomes. He emphasized that Chinese courts are ready to further deepen exchanges and enhance cooperation with their Singaporean counterparts, supporting  the modernization of both countries, fostering a forward-looking and high-quality partnership, and contributing to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Menon said judicial exchanges are an important facet of bilateral relations and reflect the strategic foresight of both countries’ leaders. He noted that both China and Singapore place great importance on the rule of law and expressed hope that both sides would further expand cooperation areas, strengthen coordination, and deliver more concrete results for the people’s well-being.

The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on several topics of mutual interest, including the application of artificial intelligence in judicial systems, cross-border insolvency case handling, case study exchanges, and international commercial dispute resolution mechanisms.

In his opening remarks at the roundtable, Zhang reviewed outcomes of the mechanism since its establishment, noting that the previous eight sessions had addressed 31 topics, signed six memoranda of understanding, and jointly released selected case collections and case lists. 

He called for further expanding the scope and depth of exchanges, particularly on emerging issues in judicial practices, and enhancing the implementation of the memoranda. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening personnel exchanges and ensuring that meeting outcomes are effectively implemented to advance judicial cooperation to new heights.

Menon said in his speech that the roundtable provides a valuable platform for senior judicial officials to engage in meaningful dialogues, deepen understanding, and strengthen an increasingly close partnership. He expressed the hope for more candid discussions on issues of common concern to elevate bilateral judicial cooperation to new heights.

This year’s roundtable focused on judicial education and comprehensive judge development, the role of courts in supporting and safeguarding international arbitration, enhancing judicial work through responsible and reliable use of artificial intelligence, and achieving optimal outcomes in family justice.

Zhang delivered a keynote speech on providing strong judicial talent support for high-quality judicial development through high-quality judge training, emphasizing the integrated development of political integrity, professional competence, and judicial ethics in training of judges. He also called for deepened cooperation with Singapore to enhance judicial education systems and judge training frameworks.

The next roundtable will be held in Singapore.

A group photo is taken following the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

The meeting was presided over by Gao Xiaoli, vice-president of the SPC. Attendees include Zhang Haibo, president of Guangdong High People’s Court; Steven Chong, justice of the Court of Appeal of Singapore; See Kee Oon, judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Singapore; Teh Hwee Hwee, presiding judge of the Family Justice Courts of Singapore; Kwek Mean Luck, justice of the Supreme Court of Singapore. Representatives from the SPC, the Supreme Court of Singapore, the Singaporean embassy in China, and the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court also attended the event.