Chief Justice and President of the Supreme People's Court of China Zhang Jun meets with a delegation of chief justices from Africa in Beijing on June 24. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

On June 24, Chief Justice and President of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China Zhang Jun met with a judicial delegation from Africa composed of the chief justices of the supreme courts of Botswana, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as well as the president of the East African Court of Justice, the justice of the Tanzanian Court of Appeal, the president of the Mozambican Maritime Court, and the director of the African Institute of International Law.

Zhang Jun speaks at the meeting with visiting chief justices from Africa. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang welcomed the delegation on their visit, saying that China and Africa are good brothers, good friends, and good partners who have supported each other through tough times. The traditional friendship and cooperation between China and Africa have withstood the test of time and changing international circumstances, making it a model of relations among developing countries, he noted.

He acknowledged the close judicial exchanges and cooperation between China and African countries in mutual visits and participation in international judicial cooperation mechanisms, and in personnel training, judicial reform and circuit adjudication systems. This visit is bound to enhance mutual trust and understanding between the two sides, and strengthen their brotherly friendship, he said.

Zhang gave a brief introduction on China’s rule of law development and court work, focusing on the drive to accelerate the modernization of adjudication work with Chinese characteristics. He also engaged in extensive discussions with members of the delegation on topics of common interest, such as online dispute resolution, judge training, and the  digital development of court work.

Noting that China will host a new session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation this year, Zhang said that Chinese courts are ready to work with their African counterparts to jointly implement the consensus reached between the leaders of their countries, continue to strengthen communication and mutual learning, and deepen pragmatic cooperation in order to benefit people in China and Africa.

Visiting chief justices from Africa speak at the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Members of the African judicial delegation thanked the SPC for the reception and spoke highly of the SPC’s achievements in judicial reform, litigation-source governance, and information-based development. They engaged in in-depth discussions with SPC representatives on such topics as the role of courts in mediation, information security in online adjudication, and the application of artificial intelligence in the judicial field. They  expressed their commitment to bolstering communication and collaboration with China, promoting cultural exchange, and advancing the development of judicial civilization in both Africa and China through mutual learning.

Members of the African judicial delegation visit the China Court Museum. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

The delegation also visited the China Court Museum, the digital court laboratory, and the courtrooms at the SPC.