Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu speaks at the 2023 Colloquium on International Law in Hong Kong on Dec 7, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

Hong Kong has a big role to play in establishing and upholding a sound international legal order, and can make full use of the “one country, two systems” principle and other natural advantages in legal areas to achieve this, guests at a local colloquium said on Thursday.

Themed “Navigating the Current International Legal Order”, the colloquium was attended by political heavyweights, legal experts, and business leaders who discussed how to establish, maintain, and reinforce an effective international legal order.

In addition to themed speeches, there were also panel discussions on how the international legal order can help enterprises tap into business opportunities and respond to crises, and how regional cooperation can complement and strengthen the international legal order for peaceful coexistence among parties.

In his opening speech, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that the colloquium was a prime example of the benefits the city can gain through discussion, given the wealth of experience and the exchange of ideas that took place at the event.

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HKCE John Lee Ka-chiu said that the SAR has the country's full support under the national 14th Five-Year Plan to advance as a center for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia‑Pacific region

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is working to build a shared community that can reach out to the world and that is committed to contributing to the rule of law locally as well as globally, Lee said.

The city is also well-placed to act as a super connector between the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world thanks to the success of “one country, two systems”, he added.

Noting that cooperation contributes to a sound and effective international legal order, Lee said that Hong Kong has the country's full support under the national 14th Five-Year Plan to advance as a center for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia‑Pacific region.

The SAR is committed to participating in and contributing to the rule of law — both locally and globally — Lee said, adding that the government is looking forward to expanding international exchange and collaboration in jurisprudence and legal services.

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Li Yongsheng, deputy commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR, said that with “one country, two systems” and the full support of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong has been able to usher in a new era of integrating itself within the current international legal order.

He added that Hong Kong has a big role to play in the nation’s involvement in global governance, and that fully leveraging its position as a global city will be key to achieving this.

Anthony Neoh, co-chairman of the Asian Academy of International Law, said that the colloquium was useful for exploring how Hong Kong can usefully navigate the changing world order to create prosperity for the common good of all.

Huang Jin, president of the Chinese Society of International Law, said that international law is integral to ensuring the peaceful coexistence of countries globally, and thus deserves to be safeguarded and cherished.