What Changed
- Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Mr Paul Lam, SC, attended the 2026 Hainan Free Trade Port Legal Week on October 16, 2026.
- Hong Kong DoJ and Hainan Province DoJ signed a legal services co-operation arrangement covering legal collaboration, talent training, and exchange programs.
- Hong Kong advocated for commercial aerospace enterprises to select Hong Kong law as contract governing law and Hong Kong as a dispute resolution venue.
Legal professionals, Mainland Chinese enterprises, commercial aerospace entities, and businesses operating across Hong Kong and Hainan are directly impacted by a new inter-regional legal cooperation agreement. On October 16, 2026, the Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong, Mr Paul Lam, SC, attended the 2026 Hainan Free Trade Port Legal Week in Hainan. During the event, Mr Lam and the Director-General of the Department of Justice of Hainan Province, Mr Qiu Lijun, signed a co-operation arrangement in legal services to deepen bilateral collaboration.
Theme-focused under 'Law-based Free Trade Port‧ Connect with the World', the newly signed arrangement provides a structured framework between the Hong Kong Department of Justice and the Department of Justice of Hainan Province. Key pillars of the arrangement include promoting legal services co-operation, conducting joint foreign-related legal talent training, and facilitating mutual exchanges between legal professionals in both jurisdictions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Lam noted that Hainan is strengthening its foreign-related legal framework and aiming to position the Hainan Free Trade Port as a preferred venue for international commercial dispute resolution during the National 15th Five-Year Plan period. Simultaneously, Hong Kong continues to enhance its position as an international hub for legal services, dispute resolution, and talent pooling to assist Mainland enterprises expanding globally.
Highlighting Hainan's strategic national role in developing commercial aerospace as an emerging industry, Mr Lam offered tailored legal and professional services from Hong Kong to support the commercialisation of aerospace development. He encouraged aerospace enterprises in Hainan and across Mainland China to adopt Hong Kong law as the applicable governing law in their contracts and to select Hong Kong as their venue for diversified dispute resolution.
The press release was issued on October 16, 2026. Specific entry-into-force and application dates for the signed co-operation arrangement were not provided in the source.
Who May Be Affected
Legal practitioners, commercial aerospace enterprises, and cross-border businesses operating between Hong Kong and Mainland China (Hainan Free Trade Port).
Cross-Border Context
Deepening institutional legal services integration and dispute resolution pathways between Hong Kong SAR and Mainland China's Hainan Free Trade Port.
What to check next
- Official text or specific implementation measures released under the Hong Kong-Hainan legal services co-operation arrangement.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Consult the official text and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances where needed.