Rule of law 'a brand to be capitalized on'

Hong Kong's legal sector should actively reach out to the international community and "brush up on the famous brand" of its rule of law, said the deputy head of the central government liaison office, Liu Guangyuan.

Speaking at a Belt and Road Initiative forum organized by the Law Society yesterday, Liu said Hong Kong's return from chaos to stability proved that the city's edge in the rule of law had become obvious once it consolidated its constitutional order and the foundation provided by the rule of law.

"To solidify and step up the core competitiveness of Hong Kong's rule of law and help with the construction of a high-quality Belt and Road Initiative, China's constitution, the Basic Law and the SAR's constitutional order must be upheld," Liu said.

"The legal profession should also actively cultivate international connections, be a non-governmental representative to tell good stories of Hong Kong's rule of law and brush up on its famous brand," he added.

Liu also said Hong Kong must capitalize on its unique advantage as the only city in China implementing the common law system.

"This allows Hong Kong to connect with an internationally accepted system and therefore to be able to take up the role as a super-connector of the Belt and Road Initiative," Liu said.

He added that Hong Kong is one of the three most popular arbitration centers around the globe and can attract a lot of legal talents from different countries.

"The legal profession should also capitalize on these advantages to build a center for international legal and dispute resolution service in the Asia-Pacific region to become a place where cross-border disputes can be resolved and the one benefitted by exploring a new market," Liu said.

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said the SAR administration will "spare no effort" to boost Hong Kong's role as a hub for international legal and dispute resolution services.

"Hong Kong is unique in providing a bilingual, transparent, predictable, efficient and trustworthy international legal environment for investment and business activities," Lam said.

The deputy commissioner of the foreign ministry in Hong Kong, Fang Jianming, also said Hong Kong should build a free and open business environment and utilize its convenient location to build an interactive exchange platform regarding legal cultures.

The third Belt and Road cooperation summit, to be held in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday, will be attended by representatives from some 130 countries and regions.

"This signifies the international support for the initiative," Fang said.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government "fully supports" Beijing's white paper on the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Under the one country, two systems principle, Hong Kong is the only jurisdiction within the country that implements common law and an international legal and dispute resolution center," Lee said.

"Hong Kong's advantage will secure peace and prosperity under the Belt and Road and play a clear and key role in the initiative," he added.