Secretary for Justice Paul Lam and Chongqing Municipal Justice Bureau Deputy Director-General Xiong Shiming today signed a framework arrangement to deepen the cities’ exchanges and co-operation in legal services.

The framework arrangement also aims to enable lawyers in the two places to better serve economic development.

The two sides reached an agreement on enhancing co-operation and exchanges of their legal sectors, strengthening exchanges and co-operation in the training of foreign-related legal services talent, and organising a mutual exchange of legal officials.

They also agreed to support and encourage the Chongqing and Hong Kong legal sectors to provide services to enterprises in both places with the aim of promoting the “go global” development strategy, and support law firms to set up branches at the other side and establish partnership associations.

Mr Lam said the framework arrangement forms a solid foundation to promote future exchanges and co-operation between the two places on legal and dispute resolution services and more, and to jointly contribute to the construction of the country’s rule of law.

This signing of the pact is also conducive to the implementation of the specific co-operation measures outlined in a memorandum signed by the two governments last May.