Hainan chooses jurors from HK, Macao, Taiwan

The Standing Committee of the Sanya Municipal People's Congress in Hainan province has chosen three people from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to serve as jurors for the local court, authorities said.

The Sanya Intermediate People's Court said it would make full use of the new jurors' professional expertise, language skills and familiarity with local laws, folk customs, cultural values and other regional characteristics.

The three jurors all currently live and work in Hainan and will participate in the first trials of cases involving Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and overseas-related civil and commercial disputes.

Efforts will be made to increase the number of jurors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and reserves will be chosen to ensure high quality professional services in Hainan, officials said.

China released a master plan in June 2020 to make all of Hainan island — which is about 32 times the size of Hong Kong — into a globally influential free trade port by mid-21st century.

Exchanges of professional personnel and economic cooperation between Hainan, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan has been on a fast track thanks to the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port.

Last year, the Supreme People's Court issued a document calling on the people's courts to provide judicial services and guarantees for the FTP. It proposed explorations to select Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents as people's jurors, introducing foreign mediators and mediators from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to help resolve disputes and provide high-quality and diverse services for Chinese and foreign clients.