On April 17, Deng Xiuming, executive vice-president of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), met with a judicial delegation from Hong Kong, which is headed by Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China’s Guizhou province.
Deng extended a warm welcome to Cheung and his delegation. He noted that the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period marks a critical stage in the country’s efforts to basically realize socialist modernization.
The outline of the plan, he said, presents major historic opportunities for Hong Kong to strengthen its development advantages and sustain long-term prosperity and stability, while opening up broader prospects for future growth.
Deng emphasized that Hong Kong’s judiciary plays a vital role in safeguarding national security and maintaining the region’s prosperity and stability. In accordance with the Basic Law, it should uphold the executive-led system and contribute to the fundamental well-being of Hong Kong residents and the overall interests of the HKSAR, Deng said.
He added that mainland courts would continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong’s judiciary, support it in leveraging its unique strengths, and work together to promote Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, as well as its better integration into and contribution to the country’s overall development.
For his part, Cheung said that Hong Kong’s judiciary would continue to exercise judicial power independently under the principle of “one country, two systems”, and steadfastly uphold the constitutional order of the HKSAR as established by the Constitution and the Basic Law.
He stressed that the Hong Kong judiciary would faithfully perform its constitutional duties, uphold the rule of law in Hong Kong, and safeguard national security in accordance with the law.
Moreover, he noted that the judiciary would remain committed to its statutory functions, give full play to Hong Kong’s unique advantage as the country’s only common law jurisdiction, and actively participate in consolidating the status of Hong Kong as an international legal and dispute resolution services hub, contributing to the country’s long-term development.
At the invitation of the SPC, Cheung led the Hong Kong judicial delegation on a visit to Chongqing and Guizhou from April 12 to 19. During the visit, the delegation toured the Chongqing High People’s Court and the Guizhou High People’s Court, and held discussions with their counterparts.
SPC Vice-President Mao Zhonghua, President of the Chongqing High People’s Court Li Yongli, and President of the Guizhou High People’s Court Mao Ronghua accompanied the delegation on parts of the itinerary.
