Hong Kong holds international symposium on rule of law

The Vision 2030 for Rule of Law International Symposium was held in Hong Kong on Thursday in a hybrid format, bringing together officials, legal experts and academics from all over the world to examine the understanding and practice of the rule of law under various jurisdictions.

Co-organized by the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council and the Asian Academy of International Law, the forum is one of the celebratory events for the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Carrie Lam, chief executive of the HKSAR, said in her speech that rule of law is the cornerstone and core value of Hong Kong's success and underpins its economic development.

"This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and the HKSAR government is committed to ensuring that the strong foundation of Hong Kong's rule of law and legal system will continue to serve as a model within the Asia-Pacific region," Lam said, adding that Hong Kong's rule of law has continued to improve since its return to the motherland and maintained a high ranking in a number of international rating indicators.

Liu Guangyuan, commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the HKSAR, said that rule of law is a key to maintaining Hong Kong's lasting stability, improving Hong Kong's governance and enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness.

"To protect the rule of law in Hong Kong, we must safeguard the constitutional order established by the constitution and the Basic Law first," Liu said, adding that with the support from the country, Hong Kong's legal advantages will be fully leveraged and it will help Hong Kong achieve greater development.

Eminent speakers from varied fields shared their experience and insights on three issues, "rule of law under international law" "fundamental elements of the rule of law" and "practice of the rule of law in different cultural contexts", facilitating mutual exchanges on the understanding and practice of the rule of law among different jurisdictions.