Head of China’s highest court visits Hungary and Slovakia

Li Shaoping, vice-president of China’s Supreme People’s Court, led a delegation to Hungary and Slovakia, July 8-15, when he first met with Darak Peter, president of Hungary’s supreme court, other national court officials, and chief judges from Budapest and Szentendre before he spoke with personnel from related institutes.

Li told Peter that China and Hungary have had good relations with both the governments and people for a long time and, after China’s reforms and opening-up, the two have increased their exchanges in various areas, including the judiciary. And the supreme courts of the two countries have had frequent exchanges with each other and, at the moment, they are undergoing judicial reforms and can learn from each other in many ways.

Li, who made the visit at the invitation of the two countries’ supreme courts, said that he believes that the visit will strengthen those exchanges and cooperation increase friendship between courts judges of the two sides.

In welcoming the Chinese delegation, Peter said that he got a basic understanding of China’s judicial reforms when he met with Zhou Qiang, president of China’s Supreme People's Court, in May and that he was impressed by China’s court development and hoped that the visit this time can increase understanding and offer an opportunity to discuss future cooperation and challenges.

In Slovakia, Li and the delegation met with the vice-president of its supreme court and visited judicial institions and academies. Li conveyed Zhou's congratulations to the new president of Slovakia's supreme court, and his greetings to all court officials. He also expressed his gratitude for Slovaks’ hospitality and said that although they are far apart in distance, the two countries have a lot in common, including their problems. So, legal cooperation has become increasingly important, which is why courts on both sides have grown increasingly closer.

Jarmila Urbancova, deputy chief justice of Slovakia's supreme court, who welcomed the Chinese delegation, said that Stefan Harabin, former chief justice of Slovakia's supreme court, had visited China for four times, which increased mutual understanding and friendship and that she herself visited China with Stefan Harabin last January and was impressed by the development of China’s supreme court system.

She said the this visit by the Chinese is a testament to the achievements that have been made since the two countries’ supreme courts signed a memorandum of understanding in 2011 and that she believes the visit will help the Chinese understand Slovakia's court procedure and culture better and increase court exchanges and cooperation.

Taking part in the discussions were Wang Haiping, president of Sichuan’s supreme court, who was part of Li’s delegation, Duan Jielong, China’s ambassador to Hungary, and Pan Weifang, Chinese ambassador to Slovakia.