Law Society of Hong Kong president Roden Tong Man-lung visited the Astana International Financial Centre in Kazakhstan, where he promoted Hong Kong’s mature legal services and dispute resolution strengths to Central Asia.
The visit formed part of the Hong Kong delegation’s itinerary in Astana, led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.
Tong met Bakhtiyar Tleubekov, chairman of the Management Board of the AIFC Authority, to exchange views on legal system development, arbitration and professional training. He also toured the AIFC Court and the International Arbitration Centre.
During the meeting, both sides held in-depth discussions on professional development and talent cultivation.
Tong highlighted the Law Society’s Common Law Centre, saying it can provide systematic training and capacity-building support for legal professionals from non-common law jurisdictions, including Kazakhstan.
He said Hong Kong, as the world’s only jurisdiction practicing a bilingual Chinese-English common law system, can offer efficient and internationally recognized legal services and dispute resolution solutions to businesses operating across Central Asia.
Tong also encouraged Kazakhstan to join the International Organization for Mediation to strengthen international cooperation.
Opened in July 2018, the AIFC is Central Asia’s first international financial center. It operates as a special jurisdiction independent of Kazakhstan’s national legal system, with a regulatory framework based on common law principles. Its court is composed of experienced judges from major common law jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom.
As of May 2026, the AIFC Court had issued 248 judgments and orders involving disputes worth more than US$2.7 billion, with a 100 percent enforcement success rate.
Meanwhile, the International Arbitration Centre provides an efficient, flexible and cost-effective alternative dispute resolution mechanism. It operates under its own arbitration and mediation rules, as well as UNCITRAL rules, and uses an eJustice platform to support remote submissions and video hearings.
The center has handled nearly 5,000 cases, reflecting its capacity in dispute resolution.
As the Law Society prepares to mark its 120th anniversary next year, Tong also invited AIFC representatives to visit Hong Kong for the anniversary events and the Opening of the Legal Year.
