Each year, at least six senior judges and six senior prosecutors will spend three months in Europe for professional training beginning this year, according to a four-year cooperative project launched in Beijing lately.

The EU-China Legal and Judicial Co-operation Program, supported by the European Commission and China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation(MOFTEC), also promises to fund 15 Chinese lawyers each year for their nine-month training courses in Europe.

The European Union plans to provide over 13.5 million euro for the project, which is scheduled to be carried out by by the British Council (on behalf of the European Commission) and China's Ministry of Justice (on behalf of MOFTEC).

According to Gao Changli, Chinese minister of Justice, the project aims to "strengthen Sino-European legal and judicial exchanges and collaboration, as well as promoting and ensuring the overall sound development of China-Europe relations."

The project also pledges to fund 20 Chinese professionals each year on a one-month visit to European legal institutions and to attend a seminar on a legal topic.

Gao pointed out that the Chinese government is devoted to the rule of law in China, and to building a socialist and legal country. "The project provides a very good channel for mutual understanding, learning and co-operation between Chinese and European legal and judicial circles."