"This regulation will lay a good foundation for the development of the capital's legal profession," said Gao Zongze, president of All-China Lawyers' Association.

Adopted by the Beijing Lawyers' Association, the regulation prescribes the principles of professional ethics and the disciplines of lawyers in its 12 chapters.

There are 440 certified law offices and 5,700 practicing attorneys in Beijing now after more than 20 years of development since China resumed its lawyers' system in 1979.

Wu Xiaoji, president of the local lawyers' association, said: "We need a unified regulation to further strengthen the profession's self-discipline, as the legal service market still needs to be further regulated."

The rules borrowed ideas from the United States, Britain and France including the confidentiality principle, according to Wu.

Meanwhile, it is hoped that a large number of Chinese lawyers will return to China after studying abroad to help meet the challenges of the country's entry into the WTO when more foreign law offices will come to the country.

Special training will be given to lawyers in Beijing to get the regulation into effect in the latter half of this year, Wu said.

Lawyers themselves have expressed their hopes of providing high quality and efficient legal services.

Some residents have complained about lawyers in recent years, for example, about illegal acts and high fees.

The Ministry of Justice stressed last month that it would strengthen the supervision of lawyers to establish a lawyers' system with Chinese characteristics and meet international standards.

The regulation could be revised after a two-year trial, according to Wu.

(China Daily July 4, 2001)