China and Africa strengthen legal ties

During a forum on Wednesday, senior judicial officials from China and 12 African countries called for stronger cooperation and closer prosecutorial exchanges to build a solid rule-of-law foundation for joint modernization efforts between China and Africa.

At the China-Africa Prosecutorial Cooperation Forum, themed "The Role of Prosecution in the Modernization Process of China and Africa", representatives gathered in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, to explore new avenues of collaboration in law enforcement, legal reform and judicial capacity-building.

Chen Wenqing, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, opened the forum by affirming China's willingness to work with African countries to deepen cooperation and exchanges among law enforcement and judicial officials, thereby providing a solid rule-of-law guarantee for advancing modernization.

Chen stressed the need to align with laws and policies, achieving coherence in rules and standards, and creating a favorable legal environment for China-Africa trade and mutual development.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and the prosecutorial cooperation forum operates under the framework of the FOCAC.

Ying Yong, prosecutor-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, noted that while modernization paths may differ, both China and African countries share the goal of advancing self-driven development.

"While the statutory functions of our prosecutorial bodies may vary, our shared responsibility lies in serving national modernization through our mandates," he said.

Ying said that China's modernization is rooted in law-based governance, ensuring that national development is conducted within a legal framework. He affirmed that Chinese prosecutorial authorities are fulfilling their constitutional and legal responsibilities, leveraging the rule of law to support Chinese-style modernization.

He also highlighted China's readiness to collaborate with African counterparts to expand exchanges and cooperation, jointly combat transnational crimes and enhance collaboration in case consultations, investigations and evidence collection while respecting national sovereignty, judicial jurisdiction and domestic laws.

Firmin Mvonde, prosecutor-general of the Democratic Republic of Congo, underscored that modernization extends beyond GDP growth or technological progress, relying on good governance and legal predictability.

Mvonde stressed that China's experience in handling large-scale economic crimes and using technology to fight corruption offers valuable lessons, urging both sides to enhance judicial coordination and mutual legal assistance to ensure criminals "find no refuge between China and Africa".

Dorcas Agik Abuya Oduor, attorney-general of Kenya, praised the modernization of China's rule of law and prosecutorial system as an integral part of national development.

She said China's SPP embraces technological innovation and uses data-driven decision-making, illustrating the professionalism and ethos of its prosecution service in responding to a rapidly changing society.

African nations are eager to learn from the SPP's valuable experience, particularly in building prosecutorial capacity, responding to the legal complexities of the digital economy, environmental resource protection and anti-corruption, she said.

The delegation heads also signed the "Minutes of the China-Africa Prosecutorial Cooperation Forum", agreeing to jointly combat transnational crimes; support each other's sovereignty, security and development interests; protect China-Africa investment projects; and ensure the rights of enterprises and citizens.