China will strengthen its legal cooperation with ASEAN members in forum operation, academic exchanges, personnel training and international exchanges, said Han Zhubin, president of the China Law Society (CLS), at a top forum on legal cooperation and development in Nanning Thursday.

The China-ASEAN Top Forum on Legal Cooperation and Development, the first of its kind, is sponsored by CLS. During the three-day session, participants from China and nine ASEAN members will hold in-depth discussion on topics concerning the legal problems about the China-ASEAN free trade area (FTA).

Addressing at the opening ceremony, Han suggested the forum be built into a regional mechanism of exchanges between legal experts and law operators of China and ASEAN and a platform of legal cooperation.

China and ASEAN should advance academic exchanges such as lectures, forums and symposia under the framework of the top forum, Han suggested.

He also proposed to strengthen the training of professionals proficient in international law and regional laws to provide intellectual support for the economic growth and commercial intercourse of the region.

The forum should promote cooperation and exchanges with other international or regional legal organizations in the future, he added.

The establishment of the forum will become an active force in promoting the improvement of China-ASEAN dispute resolution mechanism, and facilitating legal research of countries in the region, said Han.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2005)