China’s Shaanxi launches international legal affairs office for BRI to provide legal services to support the grand infrastructure strategy launched by China.
China’s northwestern province of Shaanxi has established the country’s first provincial-level office dedicated to international legal affairs, with an emphasis on the Belt and Road Initiative. The office is located in Xi’an, a historic city and former capital that once served as the starting point of the Silk Road.
The newly opened office in Xi’an aims to develop global legal services to support the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s major trade and infrastructure strategy now entering its second decade. The office will oversee the creation of a demonstration zone for international business law services.
The office will also focus on training legal professionals in international legal matters, conducting legal research, and providing services with a global perspective. The initiative aligns with China’s broader goals of opening up and strengthening its diplomatic efforts through enhanced legal frameworks.
The “foreign-related rule of law” initiative, launched in 2020, is key to integrating Chinese law with foreign and international legal systems, reflecting China’s growing global ambitions and increasing competition with the West.
Shaanxi’s justice department has implemented several initiatives to improve the province’s legal system, including a research center focused on legal issues between China and Central Asia and new guidelines for foreign-related legal services. Many law firms and legal professionals in the province have joined efforts to support Belt and Road legal work.
China expanding the legal toolkit
The launch of this office comes as China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a key project for expanding Beijing’s global trade and influence, faces challenges and skepticism from the West. Thus, Beijing is expanding its legal toolkit to handle international issues, including responses to sanctions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of strengthening legal support for foreign affairs during a Politburo study session, highlighting it as an urgent task for mitigating external risks and challenges. This aligns with Beijing’s focus on enhancing the rule of law in international matters.
In response to increasing global competition, China’s foreign ministry and the Communist Party have called for improved legal mechanisms to counter foreign sanctions and interference, viewing legal frameworks as crucial in international competition.
Beijing has passed more foreign policy legislation in recent years, addressing a challenging international environment and boosting international law studies within China’s universities due to a lack of experts. China’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, enacted in 2021, and the Foreign Relations Law, which took effect last year, are part of these efforts.
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