Hong Kong launches first trade law training with ministry
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Department of Justice and the Ministry of Commerce have jointly launched their first training programme on international trade and international investment legal practice. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said trade, investment and economic activity are becoming ever more intertwined with geopolitics, technological change and evolving regional and international frameworks. He said officials handling trade matters must understand agreements, investment rules and multilateral institutions, while also assessing how political, technological and economic developments may affect national interests, businesses and investment. The five-day programme opened on September 7 and is aimed at strengthening participants’ ability to manage emerging risks and seize opportunities in a more complex global environment
Key Points
- Lam said the programme is co-organised for the first time by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy under the Department of Justice and China’s Ministry of Commerce
- The class includes 20 senior Ministry of Commerce specialists focused on international negotiations and policymaking, alongside dozens of relevant Hong Kong and mainland officials
- Zhou Qiang of the Liaison Office’s economic department said the ministry’s trainees have an average age of 40, with 80% holding division-level posts
- Topics over five days include shifting trade geopolitics, export controls and sanctions, new trade policy tools, dispute resolution, technology developments and legal issues for Chinese firms going global
- Participants will also visit the High Court, the Hong Kong Legal Hub, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and the International Organization for Mediation, and attend the Belt and Road Summit
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong, the programme reinforces the city’s effort to position itself as a legal and dispute-resolution hub linking the mainland with international markets. It also shows how the government is using legal training to help officials and practitioners navigate a trade environment shaped increasingly by sanctions, export controls and technology-related policy shifts