Zhang Jun, chief justice and president of China's Supreme People's Court (SPC), met with a delegation headed by President of the Investment and Trade Court of Qatar Khalid bin Ali Al Obaidly in Beijing on Sept 26.

Zhang Jun, chief justice and president of China's Supreme People's Court, meets with a delegation headed by President of the Investment and Trade Court of Qatar Khalid bin Ali Al Obaidly in Beijing on Sept 26. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang welcomed the group on their visit, saying that China has always attached importance to its bilateral relations with Qatar. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, bilateral exchanges in economic and trade, as well as judicial cooperation and exchanges have deepened, yielding profound friendship and fruitful results, he said.

Zhang gave a brief introduction of China's rule of law development and foreign-related commercial adjudication work at the meeting. According to him, Chinese courts have accelerated the advancement of modernization on foreign-related commercial adjudication systems and capacity. The SPC established the International Commercial Expert Committee in 2018, which has become a bridge to enhance mutual learning and trust and promote cooperation in rule of law among countries, and a major platform for experts to leverage their expertise and pool the wisdom of different legal systems, he said. President Obaidly's serving as a member of the expert committee, representing the Supreme Judiciary Council of Qatar, is the best example of deepened judicial cooperation between China and Qatar, Zhang said, expressing hope that Obaidly will fully tap into his experience and wisdom to promote the fair and efficient settlement of international commercial disputes.

Obaidly thanked Zhang for the hospitality. He said China has undergone tremendous changes and achieved leapfrog development in recent years, especially in information technology such as artificial intelligence. China's basic national policy of opening-up has provided Qatar with more opportunities for exchanges and cooperation, he said, hoping to take this visit as an opportunity to deepen understanding and friendship, and write a new chapter in judicial exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

At the end of the meeting, Zhang awarded Obaidly the letter of appointment as a member of the SPC's International Commercial Expert Committee.