Zhang Jun, chief justice of the People's Republic of China and president of the Supreme People's Court, meets with Rebeca Lizette Ráquel Obando, president of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Honduras.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang Jun, chief justice of the People's Republic of China and president of the Supreme People's Court, meets with Muhammad Syarifuddin, chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang Jun, chief justice of the People's Republic of China and president of the Supreme People's Court, meets with Zamirbek Bazarbekov, chairman of the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang Jun, chief justice of the People's Republic of China and president of the Supreme People's Court, meets with Gibuma Gibbs Salika, chief justice of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang Jun, chief justice of the People's Republic of China and president of the Supreme People's Court, meets with Satiu Simativa Perese, chief justice of the Independent State of Samoa.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang Jun, chief justice of the People's Republic of China and president of the Supreme People's Court, meets with Gladys María Gutiérrez Alvarado, president of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

From Oct 25 to 26, Zhang Jun, chief justice of the People's Republic of China and president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), respectively met with Rebeca Lizette Ráquel Obando, president of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Honduras; Muhammad Syarifuddin, chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia; Zamirbek Bazarbekov, chairman of the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic; Gibuma Gibbs Salika, chief justice of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea; Satiu Simativa Perese, chief justice of the Independent State of Samoa; and Gladys María Gutiérrez Alvarado, president of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, during the Maritime Silk Road (Quanzhou) International Forum on Judicial Cooperation (2023).

Zhang welcomed the distinguished guests from various countries to the forum. He said Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the significant initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in 2013. Over the past decade, the Belt and Road Initiative has become a well-received international public good and international cooperation platform. Not long ago, President Xi attended and delivered a keynote speech at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which has charted a new course, blazed a new vision for and injected new impetus into the Belt and Road Initiative.

He reviewed the fruitful achievements of friendly exchanges between Chinese courts and judiciaries of other countries, briefed the attendees on the development of the rule of law and the basic situation of courts in China, especially the endeavors of the Chinese courts in recent years on judicial reform, informatization development, guidance on public mediation, safeguards for the legitimate rights and interests of minors, enhanced judicial protection for intellectual property rights, environment and resources and in other fields.

"Quanzhou, as the important starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, has witnessed the history of friendly exchanges and multi-cultural integration among countries." Zhang said that, riding the wave of the Belt and Road cooperation, courts in China and the Belt and Road countries have been constantly boosting judicial exchanges and mutual learning, and have built broad consensus and reinforced friendship and mutual trust. While there are no identical political or judicial systems across the world, it is the common goal of the judicial communities of all countries to defend fairness and justice, improve people's well-being and promote better human development. He expressed his hope to take this forum as a new threshold to work with courts of the Belt and Road countries to promote the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefits, and strengthen pragmatic cooperation in trial practices, judicial reform, case studies, judge training and other fields, in a bid to jointly usher in a new chapter in judicial exchanges and cooperation, and inject new judicial momentum into the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In addition, the Memorandum of Understanding on Judicial Exchange and Cooperation between the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China and the Supreme Court of Justice of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was signed by Zhang and Gladys María Gutiérrez Alvarado, president of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Tao Kaiyuan and Yang Wanming, justices of the second rank and vice-presidents of the SPC of China; Jin Yinqiang, president of the High People’s Court of Fujian province; and officials of relevant departments of the SPC attended the meetings.