Media Release: 3rd Singapore-China Legal and Judicial Roundtable

28 August 2019 – Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon led a thirteen-member delegation of judges and officers from the Supreme Court of Singapore and the Ministry of Law to Beijing, China for the Third Singapore-China Legal and Judicial Roundtable (“Third Singapore-China Roundtable”) on 28 August 2019.

2. The Third Singapore-China Roundtable was co-chaired by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and the President and Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court (“SPC”) of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Zhou Qiang.

Third Singapore-China Roundtable Signifies the Courts’ Commitment to Deepen the Friendships Forged over the Years

3. The Singapore-China Legal and Judicial Roundtable is a key platform for the exchange of ideas. It also serves to promote legal and judicial cooperation between both countries and showcases both courts’ commitment to work together in improving our judicial systems, enhancing the Rule of Law and contribute towards a conducive business environment in Asia.

4. Judges from the Supreme Court of Singapore and the SPC exchanged insights and perspectives on four topics at the Third Singapore-China Roundtable:

• Building the International Commercial Trial System under the Context of the “Belt and Road” Framework;
• Application of Reference Cases under the “Belt and Road” Initiative Framework;
• Improving the International Commercial Judges’ Training System; and
• Issues on Cross-border Insolvency.

5. Prior to the Roundtable, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon held a bilateral meeting with Chief Justice Zhou Qiang. At the bilateral meeting, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Chief Justice Zhou Qiang reaffirmed the excellent, longstanding and multifaceted relations between Singapore and China, as well as the firm and steady progress in bilateral legal and judicial cooperation made between the Supreme Court of Singapore and the SPC. Topics of mutual interest and ideas for future areas of cooperation were also discussed.

Singapore and Chinese Judiciaries Sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Continuing Judicial Education

6. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Chief Justice Zhou Qiang also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) on Advancing Continuing Judicial Education on the sidelines of the Third Singapore-China Roundtable. The purpose of the MOU is for the Singapore Judicial College and the National Judges College of the People’s Republic of China (“NJC”) to engage in mutual institutional exchanges to promote friendly relations, cooperation and judicial education within the ambit of their respective judicial systems.

7. During his two-day visit, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon will also be meeting Procurator-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate His Excellency Zhang Jun. In addition, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon will deliver a lecture at the NJC, titled “The Settlement of International Commercial Disputes: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Commercial Courts, and the Convergence of Commercial Laws”, on 29 August 2019.

SUPREME COURT

28 AUGUST 2019