The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has officially joined the South East Asia Justice Network (SEAJust), an informal platform to facilitate international cooperation and the exchange of intelligence in the fight against serious and organized crime, the HKSAR government announced on Wednesday.

The Chinese mainland and the Macao SAR have also joined the network, bringing the total number of members to 21.

The spokesman added that the HKSAR government is committed to playing a full and proactive role in international law enforcement cooperation and is taking the initiative to establish and expand legal cooperation with other jurisdictions

A spokesman for the HKSAR government said that SEAJust's aims resonate strongly with the Hong Kong government’s, adding that the government believes the network will be able to complement conventional forms of communication among jurisdictions, thereby increasing the efficiency of international cooperation.

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The spokesman said that, with the Chinese mainland and Macao also included as SEAJust members, the HKSAR government will be able to actively combat cross-border crimes within the region more effectively.

The spokesman added that the HKSAR government is committed to playing a full and proactive role in international law enforcement cooperation and is taking the initiative to establish and expand legal cooperation with other jurisdictions.

The Department of Justice and the Hong Kong Police Force are sparing no effort in participating in international cooperation and are responsible members of the international community in the fight against cross-border crime.

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SEAJust was established in 2020 with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In addition to its three new members, it also includes Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, France, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Romania, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Timor-Leste, the United States and Vietnam.

Contact the writer at fangxue@chinadailyhk.com