The 1st Symposium on China- South Asia, Southeast Asia Commercial Legal Cooperation was held in Kunming, Yunnan on June 13. Mr. SinaSingh, director the Department of Import and Export Control of Sri Lanka, Mr. Karunasena Kodituwakku, Sri Lanka ambassador to China, Mr. Masood Khalid, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Indian professor Amar Yumnam and other guests from South Asia and Southeast Asia were present at the symposium. Mr. Yin Zonghua, vice chairman of the CCPIT, Wang Shufen, deputy director of Yunnan People’s Congress and Mr. Malik, senior vice chairman of SAARC CCI attended the symposium and delivered keynote speeches.   

Yin Zonghua said in his speech that the cooperation potential between China and Southeast Asia is broad. The promotion of “One Belt, One Road” strategy, the upgrading of China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone, the construction of GMS (Great Mekong Subregion) economic corridor, and the promotion of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar economic corridor will all become historical opportunities for the deepening of the communication and cooperation of the business industry. The economic and trade cooperation needs protection by laws. The CCPIT is willing to work with trade and investment promotion institutions of other countries, to enhance legal cooperation, share legal information and provide professional commercial services for enterprises, to help enterprises learn knowledge of international rules and related countries' regulations and laws, prevent legal risks and safeguard corporate interests. He also raised four suggestions: the first is to strengthen communications among legal service institutions, to explore the possibility of establishing a untied legal service agency; the second is to organize various forms of legal communication activities; the third is to expand legal consultation services for companies; the fourth is to help companies solve legal disputes. 

Deputy director Wang Shufen said in her speech that as China is increasing economic and trade cooperation with South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, governments and enterprises have more demands for legal services. She raised several suggestions: the first is to play to the strength of the platform of legal cooperation discussion meeting; the second is to play to the strength of the public law service platform of CCPIT (Yunnan) South Asia and Southeast Asia legal service center; the third is to play to the strength of CCPIT (CCOIC) Yunnan Province Trade and Economic and Trade Friction Pre-warning Center.

Mr. Malik said that a lot of important projects have been created since China raised the proposal of “One belt, One road” initiative, which promoted the economic development and cooperation of the regional countries. As the relationship of investment and trade develops, bilateral and multilateral disputes also increased. It is necessary to establish mechanism to solve the disputes. 

Deputy Chairman Yin Zonghua and Mr. Malik co-signed the China-South Asia Legal Cooperation Proclamation. The statement was released by Wang Chengjie, director general of Department of Legal Affairs of the CCPIT. 

To establish a practical legal service platform, the symposium also witnessed the unveiling ceremony of the CCPIT (Yunnan) South Asia, Southeast Asia Legal Service Center, and the CCPIT (CCOIC) Yunnan Province Trade and Economic and Trade Friction Prewarning Center. 

The symposium also invited legal experts from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Laos and Chinese famous lawyers studying South Asia and Southeast Asia, to hold discussions on legal cooperation and investment legal risks in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The symposium was hosted by Wang Chengjie and about 200 representatives from business associations, trade promotion agencies, enterprises and legal experts of South Asian and Southeast Asian countries attended the meeting.