Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China, held a work meeting with President of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Koen Lenaerts via video link on April 8.

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China, holds a work meeting with President of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Koen Lenaerts via video link on April 8.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

Noting that China and Europe share extensive common interests and a solid foundation for cooperation, Zhou said leaders of the two parties have reached many consensuses which have guided the way for bilateral cooperation in various fields. China's SPC has maintained long-term communication and exchanges with the CJEU, which has yielded a series of fruitful results, he added.

Zhou introduced the anti-pandemic measures of China's courts and briefed Lenaerts on China's judicial reform. China has cracked down on epidemic-related crimes, launched judicial policies and measures to help resumption of work and production, and utilized smart courts to resolve disputes online with high efficiency, Zhou said. China's courts have further deepened judicial reform and improved the one-stop diversified dispute resolution and litigation service system, which have enhanced the quality and efficiency of court trials and executions, according to Zhou.

Zhou also conveyed the SPC's willingness to continue discussions with the CJEU on judicial measures in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 response, exchanges in areas such as judge training, case studies, informatization progress, judicial openness and standardized application of laws, so as to contribute to an early victory over the pandemic and the long-term development of China-EU relations.

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China, holds a work meeting with President of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Koen Lenaerts via video link on April 8.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

Lenaerts applauded Chinese courts' achievements in pandemic response and informatization development. He briefed Zhou on the EU's judicial reform and COVID-19 response measures, and expressed his hope for more communications with the SPC for better law-based governance, which in turn will benefit people on both sides.