Chongqing - On June 12, the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center hosted a seminar with company executives, faculty, and international students. The aim was to help companies understand ASEAN's legal environment and for officials to learn about Chongqing businesses' needs abroad, promoting trade and economic ties between Chongqing and ASEAN.

Over ten Ph.D. students from the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center, including those from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia, many holding key government positions, attended the seminar.

Bridging News interviewed Khusnul Bachtiar, Deputy Chief Judge of Wates District Court in Indonesia, Kheang Seng, Vice President of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and Buon Sarakmony, Secretary of State of Commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia, to gather their legal advice for Chinese enterprises expanding abroad.

Khusnul Bachtiar, Deputy Chief Judge of Wates District Court in Indonesia, delivered a speech at the seminar. (Photo/ Jing Renke)

Kheang Seng, Vice President of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Kingdom of Cambodia, participated in the seminar. (Photo/ Jing Renke)

Buon Sarakmony, Secretary of State of Commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia, answered questions from a local company. (Photo/ Jing Renke)

Chongqing Zhongji Import & Export Co., Ltd. plans to invest in a charging station project in Indonesia and establish a wholly foreign-owned enterprise. They seek information on registered capital requirements and tax incentives.

Ou Shenggang, the head of Chongqing Heyang Optoelectronic Instruments Co., Ltd., an instrument manufacturing company, recently returned from a visit to Cambodia. They plan to establish a joint venture there and have questions about company structure, capital and equipment flow, and customs regulations.

Like Heyang Optoelectronic and Zhongji Import & Export, many Chongqing companies are expanding into ASEAN markets but lack knowledge of local regulations. The Ph.D. students from ASEAN countries provided detailed answers to companies' questions based on their experiences.

The seminar was organized by the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center and the Western China International Communication Organization.

The China-ASEAN Legal Research Center at Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL) offers the country's only doctoral training program for ASEAN senior officials, significantly impacting ASEAN and other Southeast Asian countries.

Since 2016, the Center has implemented the ASEAN Elite Ph.D. program, which the judiciary authorities of Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and other ASEAN countries have recommended.

A group photo of seminar participants at the June 12 event hosted by the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center and the Western China International Communication Organization, featuring company executives, faculty, and international students. (Photo/ Jing Renke)