SCO efforts for growth via rule of law hailed

President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China is willing to work with other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to promote high-quality economic development through the rule of law, uphold regional peace and stability, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory letter sent to the 10th Meeting of the SCO Ministers of Justice, which opened in Shanghai on Tuesday.

He also noted in the letter that, since the mechanism of the meeting was launched in 2013, SCO member states have advanced the rule of law with unceasing efforts, enhanced exchanges and mutual learning between governments in the field of justice, and constantly engaged themselves in practical cooperation in the legal services sector.

They have also played important roles in upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, Xi added.

Themed "deepening legal service cooperation to boost regional economic and trade development", the meeting, hosted by China's Ministry of Justice, involved 300 representatives, including government officials and professionals from the legal service industry, academia and business sectors, from home and abroad.

Amin Hossein Rahimi, Iran's minister of justice, said that accelerating cooperation in the legal field plays an important role in developing bilateral ties, especially economic and trade relations.

Ikrom Gapurovich Saipov, deputy head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation and International Ratings of the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan, said the meeting will be a starting point for a new decade of judicial and legal cooperation among SCO member states.

Gao Zicheng, chairman of the All-China Lawyers Association, said that the meeting mechanism has injected energy into exchanges and cooperation among member states, promoting common development and deeper cooperation. "Altogether, 217 law firms from 22 foreign countries and regions have set up 282 representative offices on the Chinese mainland. Meanwhile, Chinese law firms have established 180 branches and over 400 offices overseas," he said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.