The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in his capacity as the chair of the sub-group on Belt and Road development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, will lead Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government officials, including the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan; and the Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, to attend the seventh Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative to be held on Friday morning (July 12), with departures for Beijing on both July 10 and July 11.

     During his stay in Beijing, Mr Lam will visit the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and have meetings with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to follow up on the implementation of the measures of allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law and to choose Hong Kong as the seat of arbitration, and to discuss the preparatory work for the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation. Mr Lam will also call on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council to give a briefing on the progress of the Department of Justice's major policy measures including the establishment of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, promoting the development of Hong Kong as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region, and the promotion of rule of law education.

     Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on July 12 afternoon. During Mr Lam's absence, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will be the Acting Secretary for Justice. During Mr Yau's absence, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.

Ends/Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Issued at HKT 17:00

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