There are 171 overseas law firm representative offices that are
permitted to operate business from the Chinese mainland, said a
senior official with the Ministry of Justice?on Thursday.
Of the total, business offices of Hong Kong-based law firms
total 42 in the Chinese mainland, according to Li Renzhen, deputy
head of the division for guidance over attorneys and notaries with
the Ministry of Justice.
While addressing a forum on development of international
intermediary service in China, Li said that the legal service
market is now globalized in the Chinese mainland, coupled with
expansion in the opening-up drive in this regard since 1992 when
the country experimented with the practice of allowing overseas law
firms to start up business offices in the Chinese mainland.
After joining the World Trade Organization, the Chinese
government has scrapped restrictions on foreign law firms regarding
the number and location of business offices a foreign law firm may
establish in the Chinese mainland, and widened the scope of
business of foreign law firm offices and their representatives in
the country, as well as lowered the qualifications required of
chief representatives and employees to be posted in foreign law
firm offices in the country, said Li.
With the signing of the Closer Economic Partnership
Arrangement(CEPA) between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, and
Macao, it will be easier for attorneys of Hong Kong to operate
business or work in the Chinese mainland as the Chinese government
will honor its commitments for opening up its legal service.
China began to rebuild the bar system in 1978.
There are currently 102,000 licensed attorneys and 11,000 law
agencies across the country.?
?
(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2004)