The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, visited Shenzhen today (August 10) to exchange views with Shenzhen officials on the development of Hong Kong's arbitration and legal services in Shenzhen, including Qianhai.

In the morning, Mr Yuen held discussions with officials of the Shenzhen Municipal Justice Bureau, the Legislative Affairs Office of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, the Qianhai Authority and the South China Sub-Commission of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission. Constructive exchanges were made on enhancing mutual legal services co-operation and the Hong Kong arbitration sector providing business arbitration services to enterprises in Qianhai. He also met with the Executive Vice-Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, Mr Lu Ruifeng.

Mr Yuen also briefed Shenzhen officials on the Government's efforts in promoting legal and arbitration services over the past years.

In the afternoon, Mr Yuen visited the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, where he was briefed by officials of the Qianhai Authority on the latest development in the area.

The Approval of The State Council on "The Supporting Policies of the Development and Opening up of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen" promulgated in June this year has stated clearly that pilot policies are adopted in Qianhai to step up closer co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The policies cover legal and arbitration affairs, including exploring ways for Hong Kong arbitration institutions to establish offices in Qianhai and fostering closer co-operation between legal professionals of the Mainland and Hong Kong to identify better modes of association between Hong Kong and Mainland law firms, strengthening the implementation of various liberalisation measures for Hong Kong under the framework of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and its supplements.

Mr Yuen returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Ends/Friday, August 10, 2012