STORY: Mainland-HK civil, commercial arrangement comes into operation
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 29, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 30, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:31
LOCATION: HONG KONG, China
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the ceremony
2. various of exterior of the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, Hong Kong
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YANG WANMIN, Vice President of Supreme People's Court (SPC)
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): PAUL LAM, Secretary for justice of HKSAR government

STORYLINE:

The courts of mainland and Hong Kong may recognize and enforce reciprocally effective judgments in civil and commercial matters after a new arrangement came into effect on Monday.

The Mainland Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance and the Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) came into operation Monday.

The new mechanism will significantly enhance the demand of parties outside the jurisdiction to choose Hong Kong courts for resolving cases related to the Chinese mainland, said Vice President of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) Yang Wanming at a seminar held Monday in Hong Kong about the arrangement.

It will stimulate the expectations of mainland enterprises to choose Hong Kong as a platform for "going global" cooperation, and add momentum to the development of Hong Kong as an international legal and dispute resolution service center in the Asia-Pacific region, Yang said.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YANG WANMIN, Vice President of Supreme People's Court (SPC)
"The operation of the new mechanism has opened a new course of judicial cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong. We believe that our colleagues in the judicial and legal sectors of the two places will continue to follow the principle of 'one country, two systems' and the Basic Law of Hong Kong, adhere to innovation, jointly promote development, and jointly write a new chapter in communication and cooperation."

Paul Lam, secretary for justice of the HKSAR government, said the arrangement showcases the unique advantages enjoyed by Hong Kong under "one country, two systems."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): PAUL LAM, Secretary for justice of HKSAR government
"While it's essential to maintain a clear demarcation between the legal system of the mainland and that of Hong Kong, it's necessary to construct languages between the two systems so that the unique advantages offered by Hong Kong's common law system, maybe fully utilized to serve national interests of China as a whole."

The seminar was co-organized by the SPC and the HKSAR government's Department of Justice, attracting about 300 participants on-site.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong, China.
(XHTV)