China has 230,000 practicing lawyers

China currently has 230,000 practicing lawyers and more than 18,000 law offices, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The annual report on the construction of China's legal system in 2012 published by the China Law Society said China expanded opening up and cooperation in the legal service sector over the past year.

As many as 324 representative offices of 263 law offices from 21 countries and regions had been registered on the Chinese mainland by the end of 2012, according to the report.

Along with the current Constitution, China had a total of 243 laws, 721 administrative regulations and more than 8,600 local laws or regulations as of the end of December 2012, the report revealed.

Of the 38 laws or draft resolutions deliberated by the National People's Congress, or China's top legislature, and its Standing Committee, 31 were passed last year, according to the report.

Moreover, some 16 administrative regulations were created by the State Council, China's cabinet, and more than 1,100 local administrative regulations were produced in 2012, the report continued.

The China Law Society is an academic organization of legal experts and practitioners headquartered in Beijing.