Xiamen area of legal district gaining solid footing

The Maritime Silk Road Central Legal District has made great progress in establishing a law-based government and business environment along the Maritime Silk Road since it was launched in Xiamen in 2021.

After more than one year of efforts in developing the Xiamen area of the legal district, Xiamen has seen an improvement in services for foreign law-related affairs. The city has attracted more talents engaged in foreign-related legal services and seen an improvement in the integration of law and business, which has played a role in helping create a better legal ecosystem while building a more internationalized legal and business environment, local officials said.

Since the start of this year, the Xiamen area of the legal district has carried out actions focusing on benefiting businesses and people, strengthening industries, promoting reform and innovation and attracting talent.

To provide businesses with legal service support, the area of the legal district has cooperated with 25 relevant local departments and industry associations, including the judicial bureau, the department of commerce and the federation of industry and commerce to organize an advisory team and resource meetings on specific topics, as well as conducting inspections in various industry sectors.

In addition, the area of the legal district has joined hands with the office for the construction of the Xiamen BRICS Innovation Base to further the construction featuring legal services for BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Since 2022, it has also provided a wide range of legal services for domestic and foreign companies engaged in BRICS-related businesses, handling more than 400 cases.

Over the past year, the area of the legal district has attracted more than 150 legal institutions, including Shanghai Landing Law Offices, Glinks Law Firm and the Maritime Silk Road Arbitration Center of China Maritime Arbitration Commission, to set up branches in Xiamen.

Apart from measures and support, efforts have been made in other fields, including conducting reform and innovation in sectors such as international disputes resolution, intellectual property and financial judiciary, rolling out policies and attracting talents.

The area of the legal district plans to offer support and incentives to high-level legal professionals in a bid to become a pioneer among legal districts nationwide in tailoring incentive policies for high-level legal professionals. It has introduced national-level scientific research institutes including China Justice Big Data Service Platform and the Third Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and has established joint innovation laboratories as part of the efforts to strengthen the district's leading position in legal technology through the promotion of research and development, innovation and demonstration of digital legal affairs.

"The Xiamen area of the central legal district has focused on the integration of law and business, promoting business through law, and using business to drive law since its establishment. It has promoted the construction of the five major strategic positions and explored a path to serve the development of the social economy," said Feng Liang, director at the Maritime Silk Road judicial big data joint innovation laboratory.

To date, the district's legal services for businesses campaign has organized more than 150 institutions and more than 2,000 legal professors to provide more than 15,000 businesses with tailor-made services. It has also organized international events in a bid to increase its brand influence.

The legal district has provided businesses with a platform for cooperation and has helped gather diverse industries, said Fan Peng, general manager at the Fujian branch of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings.

"It is expected that the legal district will attract high-quality lawyers and enterprises, establish a good platform for legal and business exchanges and promote innovation and development in the field of legal and business," Fan said.

International commercial officials conduct a visit to the Xiamen Area of the Maritime Silk Road Central Legal District. CHINA DAILY