China Hosts International Legal Forum in Shenzhen to Expand Judicial Ties

The China Forum on the Rule of Law opened in Shenzhen on September 22, convening legal and judicial representatives from 38 countries and seven international organisations. Chen Wenqing, head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, delivered the keynote address alongside Guangdong Provincial Party Secretary Huang Kunming. Organised by the China Law Society, the event served as a high-level platform for Beijing to promote its framework of foreign-related legal governance and strengthen bilateral judicial contacts with counterparts from Nepal, Samoa, and Chile.

The forum provides a visible window into how China's top leadership seeks to project legal influence abroad and develop foreign-related rule of law. The personal involvement of Politburo members Chen Wenqing and Huang Kunming highlights Beijing's focus on aligning domestic legal standards with global external engagement, using legal diplomacy to safeguard overseas interests and shape international governance norms.

The China Forum on the Rule of Law (2026) opened on September 22 in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, bringing together senior Chinese officials alongside judicial delegates from 38 countries and seven international organisations, according to state media reports. Chen Wenqing, a member of the CCP Central Committee Political Bureau and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, attended the opening session and delivered a keynote speech. Huang Kunming, also a Politburo member and the Party Secretary of Guangdong Province, addressed the attendees during the ceremony. The forum was officially hosted by the China Law Society under the overarching theme of deepening international legal exchanges to support a community with a shared future for mankind. According to official coverage, forum participants discussed the international reception of Chinese diplomatic concepts and emphasised that building global governance requires upholding legal principles and mutual learning across legal systems. Domestic messaging highlighted China's progress under Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, citing scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, judicial fairness, and the strengthening of "foreign-related rule of law" to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Ahead of the opening ceremony, Chen and accompanying international dignitaries toured a dedicated exhibition detailing the milestones and outcomes of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. Following the main proceedings, Chen conducted high-level bilateral meetings with foreign judicial leaders. These included separate discussions with Prakash Man Singh Raut Sharma, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal; Satiu Simativa Perese, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Samoa; and Ángel Valencia, National Prosecutor of Chile. Official accounts did not release operational details regarding the individual talks, but such diplomatic exchanges typically address cross-border judicial assistance, law enforcement cooperation, and capacity building. The event underscores Beijing's continuous drive to project its legal doctrines onto the international stage, establishing direct dialogue channels with judicial authorities across Asia, Oceania, and Latin America.