Chongqing- Under the theme of Regional Economic Integration and Mutual Learning among Civilizations of Rule of Law, the 3rd China-ASEAN Law Dean's Forum was held in Chongqing on December 18.

Nearly 100 experts and scholars from well-known law schools in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and other countries exchanged their views online and offline on topics such as international communication of legal education and cooperation mechanisms for international legal talent training.

The forum was organized by the Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL) and Chongqing International Culture Association (CICA) and co-organized by the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center (CALRC) and the School of International Law of the SWUPL.

Multinational collaboration in legal exchange

Du Kewei, Director, China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Ministry of Education, China, said that in recent years, China-ASEAN international exchange and cooperation in legal education has been fruitful with the joint efforts of both sides.

For example, SWUPL has cooperated with other law institutions in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar to explore a model for the training model of "bilingual and dual law systems" compound foreign-related legal talents.

Du thinks, in order to serve the economic and social development of different countries and the construction of the Belt and Road, all parties are expected to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, give play to the function of cultural exchanges and education, and cultivate "humanities exchange messengers" with high legal standards, proficient in international legal rules.

"The rule of law is an important guarantee for the partnership between China and ASEAN," said Wang Wei, Deputy Director, the Academic Exchange Center of the Chinese Law Society. "It is our common aspiration to strengthen legal exchanges and cooperation in the law field among China and ASEAN countries." 

During the forum, Zhang Xiaojun, Secretary-General of the CALRC, and Tean Samnang, President of the National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relation of Cambodia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

The two sides will communicate and cooperate in legal exchanges and research, talent training, and academic research activities, and jointly promote and establish the China-Cambodia Research Center for International Relations and International Law Research.

Deep integration of regional economy

Wang believes that the China-ASEAN legal community should actively promote the dovetailing of the Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN development plans, promote the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

This involves enhancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, expanding rule of law cooperation in emerging areas such as the digital economy, technological innovation, and the blue economy, to deepen regional economic integration.

Meanwhile, the forum provides rule of law support to promote green transformation and sustainable development in the region by actively carrying out dialogue on addressing climate change, strengthening policy communication and experience sharing, and enhancing cooperation on the rule of law in green finance and investment.

China-ASEAN Legal Research Center

"The CALRC has done a series of practical and productive work, which has effectively boosted the construction and development of the rule of law in Cambodia and other ASEAN countries," said H.E. Yuok Ngoy, Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of Cambodia. "I would like to express our great appreciation and gratitude for this endeavor."

Cambodia attaches great importance to strengthening exchanges and cooperation with China. He continued, Cambodia will learn more from China's successful experience in developing the rule of law, the education and training of personnel with the rule of law consciousness, and other aspects.

He looks forward to establishing more exchanges and cooperation with Chinese universities further to improve the quality of higher education in Cambodia.

The CALRC was established in 2010. It aims to focus on research on the construction of the rule of law in the China-ASEAN region, the construction of an ASEAN legal database, and the training of legal talents for ASEAN affairs through the integration of Chinese and ASEAN law and Juris.

(Shi Jiaqi, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)