HENGQIN, Zhuhai - The Macau Special Administrative Region(MSAR) and the Supreme People's Court (SPC) signed yesterday Minutes of Talks on Further Strengthening Judicial and Legal Exchanges and Cooperation.
MSAR Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng and SPC President Zhou Qiang witnessed the signing ceremony, which was held in Hengqin. The document was signed by SPC Vice-President Yang Wanming and MSAR Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong Weng Chon.
The 106-square-kilometre island of Hengqin lies adjacent to Macau's Taipa and Coloane islands. Hengqin is part of Zhuhai, a prefecture-level city in Guangdong province.
According to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS), the signing of the Minutes of the Talks "will help strengthen judicial and legal exchanges and cooperation between Macau and the mainland, and ensure the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Hengqin Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone."
After the signing ceremony, the two sides had in-depth exchanges on how to strengthen the development of the rule of law in the zone, the statement pointed out.
The main contents of the Minutes of the Talk include the following: the two places will jointly promote the convergence of judicial and legal rules and mechanisms, establish and improve a diversified dispute resolution mechanism for cross-border commercial matters, encourage and promote normalised and institutionalised judicial and legal exchanges and cooperation, strengthen cooperation in legal affairs, promote the integration and development of information technology (IT) and the rule of law, and both will also further strengthen Macau's role as a bridge between Macau and Portuguese-speaking countries and regions.
The Beijing-based Supreme People’s Court (SPC) is the nation’s highest court. The court is accountable to the National People’s Congress (NPC). – Xinhua, MPD
Caption of GCS file photo: MSAR Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (standing, left) and SPC President Zhou Qiang (standing, right) witness yesterday's signing of 'Minutes of Talks on Further Strengthening Judicial and Legal Exchanges and Cooperation' by MSAR Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong Weng Chon (seated, left) and SPC Vice President Yang Wanming in Hengqin.
