Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today attended the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Beijing Representative Office.

Mr Lam also met officials from the State Council's Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the Department of Justice’s major policy measures.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the HKIAC Beijing Representative Office, Mr Lam stressed that the HKIAC is the first arbitral institution outside the Mainland to establish an office in Beijing, thereby marking a new milestone.

He outlined that the office will enable Beijing to become more internationalised and diversified in the field of arbitration, adding that he looks forward to seeing Beijing and Hong Kong continue to enhance their co-operation on legal matters and dispute resolution.

Under the Arbitration Ordinance, the HKIAC is the sole appointing authority responsible for appointing arbitrators and determining the number of arbitrators when the parties to a dispute fail to reach an agreement.

It is also one of the seven designated arbitral institutions under the “Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”.

Yesterday evening, the justice chief had dinner with Supreme People’s Court Vice-President Mao Zhonghua.

Mr Lam will tomorrow meet Minister of Justice He Rong to brief her on the establishment of a dedicated platform for Greater Bay Area (GBA) lawyers and a GBA legal information platform.

They will also discuss the work of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and relevant training for foreign-related legal talent.

Mr Lam will conclude his visit to Beijing and return to Hong Kong after the meeting.