The deputy head of China's top court met with the visiting Hong Kong delegation on December 7 in Beijing.

Shen Deyong, executive vice-president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China, welcomed the group led by Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, secretary for Justice of Hong Kong.

Shen said economic and trade ties between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong SAR are getting ever closer, and the frequency of people-to-people exchanges is also increasing.

Thus, judicial cases concerning both sides are also on the rise, according to Shen.

Shen expressed his wish to implement the arrangement of judicial assistance made earlier between the two sides, in order to better protect the legitimate interests and welfare of people.

He also said that the SPC supports the plan to build Hong Kong into a dispute settlement service center relating to international law in the Asian-Pacific region

The SPC encourages the Hong Kong Department of Justice to play a bigger role in implementing the "One Country, Two Systems" policy and maintaining the long-term peace and prosperity of Hong Kong SAR, Shen noted.