Over 300 Attend China-ASEAN Legal Cooperation Talks in Chongqing

CHONGQING, China, Nov. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from iChongqing.

The 7th China-ASEAN Legal Cooperation Forum opened in Chongqing on November 21, bringing together more than 300 representatives from ASEAN legislative, judicial and government legal bodies, as well as leaders from academia, the legal sector and business communities, with participants from Thailand, Laos, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The forum featured keynote speeches and three sub-forums: China-ASEAN Law School Deans' Forum, International Commercial Arbitration Forum on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), and China-ASEAN Forum on Governance of Cross-border Crimes. Discussions centered on legal education, commercial arbitration, and the governance of cross-border crime, to strengthen legal frameworks essential for regional development.

At the opening ceremony, ASEAN leaders underscored the growing importance of legal collaboration amid geopolitical volatility and rising economic interdependence. Borwornsak Uwanno, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, stressed that stronger legal frameworks—especially in investment protection, intellectual property, digital trade, and data management—are essential to support growing cross-border economic activity and ensure stable, predictable conditions for businesses.

Viengthong Siphandone, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of the Lao Supreme People's Court, noted that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Agreement responds to member states' needs for greater openness and trade liberalization. The agreement advances the free flow of goods, services, and capital while promoting transparent and mutually beneficial trade rules.

Suharto, S.H., M.Hum, Vice Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia, said that the agreement's new chapter on the green economy aligns with Indonesia's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 and developing an integrated electric vehicle supply chain. The framework opens access to China's green technologies and investment in renewable energy and mineral processing.

During the ceremony, the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center and Southwest University of Political Science and Law signed cooperation agreements with ASEAN partners. Several major publications were also released, including a collection of key ASEAN laws, a practical guide to international commercial arbitration in ASEAN countries, and a set of legal service cases related to the ILSTC.

Since its launch, the forum has attracted steady participation from ASEAN governments, international organizations, and legal experts, enabling over 20 cross-border cooperation agreements and issuing legal practice guidelines that support foreign investment—advancing both legal theory and practice.

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SOURCE iChongqing