中國—東盟法律研究中心秘書長張曉君：為共建“一帶一路”高質量發展貢獻法治力量

Since its establishment in 2010， the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center at Southwest University of Political Science and Law （the Research Center） has been focusing on scientific research， talent training， international cooperation， and social service. It mainly conducts systematic， foundational， and forward-looking research on China-ASEAN legal systems and the rules of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area. Meanwhile， it provides an academic exchange platform for China-ASEAN legal cooperation and communication， offers consulting recommendations for governments， business groups， and other institutions， and delivers legal and intellectual support for the prosperity and development of the region. Zhang Xiaojun， Secretary-General of the Research Center， accepted an exclusive interview with our journalist and talked about how the Research Center plays a significant role in building platforms and promoting cooperation in the international legal exchange under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Joint Consultation on the Innovative Development of Legal Construction Under the Belt and Road Initiative

The legal guarantee is fundamental and essential for Belt and Road cooperation. A win-win situation for all parties involved in the Belt and Road Initiative can only be achieved through a reasonable and effective legal framework that promotes bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Zhang Xiaojun， Secretary-General of the China-ASEAN Legal Research Center， stated that after a decade of development， the Research Center has become a leading platform for legal exchange and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries. As the most influential base in the region for ASEAN countries’ legal research， legal talent training， and legal exchange cooperation， the Center has become an important force in the legal collaboration between China and ASEAN countries.

Currently， the Research Center has engaged Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand as its honorary advisor. The Research Center has also engaged seven ASEAN consulting committee members， including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of Cambodia， the Attorney General of the Union of Myanmar， and the Vice President of the National Assembly of Lao PDR， as well as over 200 ASEAN guest researchers. Cooperation agreements have been signed with more than 30 institutions， including the Ministries of Justice of Cambodia and Laos， the ASEAN Law Association， the Thailand Institute of Justice， and more than 20 ASEAN law firms. Four overseas legal research and consultancy centers have been co-established to participate in the legal development among ASEAN countries and other collaborative efforts.

To build a legal expert database， the Research Center has recruited more than 60 legal and jurisprudence experts from the BRI partner countries and carried out academic activities and talent training programs in collaboration with overseas legal institutions.

In the past five years， the Research Center has integrated Chinese and ASEAN resources in legal and jurisprudence research. Against the backdrop of promoting high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation， it has given more research attention to ASEAN and achieved positive results in areas such as the ASEAN legal theory and practical research， publication of treatises， database construction， talent training， and establishment of legal alliances. This has provided relevant experience for the joint consultation on the innovative development of legal development under the Belt and Road Initiative.

“We have always been striving to build the world’s unique ASEAN law database and the law ascertainment service brand， and create a world-class ASEAN law center，” introduced Zhang Xiaojun. The first phase of the ASEAN legal database has already included more than 400，000 legal records from ten ASEAN countries， which are searchable in both Chinese and English. This will facilitate the provision of legal inquiry services of ASEN countries for parties from all over the world， including China.

In 2020， the China-ASEAN Law Research Center and the Chongqing Liangjiang New Area （Free Trade Zone） Court jointly formulated and issued the Guidelines for the Law Ascertainment Mechanism of Countries Along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. The Guidelines have actively promoted the international communication of Chongqing’s rules for foreign-related case trials， enhanced the level of Chongqing’s foreign-related commercial judicial practice， and became an example of institutional innovation in Chongqing’s pilot free trade zone.

Communicating China’s Legal Experience in the Belt and Road Cooperation

In November 2023， the New International Land-Sea Corridor Legal Service Alliance was unveiled at the opening ceremony of the 5th China-ASEAN Legal Cooperation Forum. The Alliance will serve the countries and the “13+2” provinces （autonomous regions and cities） along the Corridor， helping Chongqing to create a new hub for opening up.

Currently， the Research Center has launched a high-end law talent training program for the BRI partner countries （ASEAN countries）， enrolling nearly 100 master’s and doctoral international students and organizing training for nearly 200 judicial officers， lawyers， and scholars from ASEAN countries. It has created a “tailor-made” model for organizing and training high-end legal talent for ASEAN countries， successfully promoted legal aid work for legal services in ASEAN countries， and further spread China’s legal experience.

The Research Center has organized the publication of a series of books such as Guide to Foreign Investment Legal Affairs in ASEAN Countries and Belt and Road Trade and Investment Risk Prevention and Control Legal Practice Series. In particular， the Myanmar Foreign Investment Legal Practice Guide published in 2020 is a beneficial attempt and exploration of the Chinese legal community and ASEAN legal organizations in strengthening legal service cooperation. It is also a practical action by the legal and jurisprudence circles of Chinese and Myanmar to promote the development of the Belt and Road through legal means.

Next， the Research Center will pool together experts to produce more policy recommendations， create cooperative platforms， and serve regional development. Zhang Xiaojun stated that the Research Center is mandated to complete the current major national research projects and the major ones initiated by the ministries， promote the sharing of legal issues among legal and jurisprudence organizations between China and the ASEAN countries， and publish high-quality legal research results about ASEAN on China-ASEAN Law Review. On top of this， it will also accelerate legal research on the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism through targeted joint project release， international rule development， and participation in legislative assistance in ASEAN countries，

The Research Center will also continue to expand its legal ascertainment service center database and service platform for the Belt and Road countries and regions. It will advance the building of an expert database， providing a professional talent pool for legal ascertainment purposes. It aims to enhance the influence of the China-ASEAN Legal Cooperation Forum in the legal and jurisprudence circles of China and ASEAN countries and play an important role in the legal exchange and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries， promoting the building of a China-ASEAN community with a shared future through cultural exchanges.

Photo/Interviewee

西南政法大學中國—東盟法律研究中心自2010年成立以來，立足于科學研究、人才培養、國際合作和社會服務，主要開展對中國與東盟法律、中國—東盟自由貿易區規則的系統性、基礎性和前瞻性研究，為中國與東盟法治合作交流提供學術交流平臺，為政府、商業團體和其他機構提供咨詢建議，為本地區繁榮發展提供法律和智力支持。中國—東盟法律研究中心秘書長、西南政法大學國際法學院院長張曉君接受本刊記者專訪，暢談在共建“一帶一路”法治國際交流方面搭平臺、促合作中，如何發揮重要作用。

共商“一帶一路”法治建設創新發展

法治保障是共建“一帶一路”實施基礎性的、必不可少的關鍵要素，只有在合理有效的法律框架下，才能更好地促進雙邊和多邊合作，實現“一帶一路”倡議下的各方共贏。

張曉君表示，經過十年建設，中國—東盟法律研究中心已成為中國與東盟法律交流合作的領軍式平臺，本區域最具影響力的東盟國家法治研究、法治人才培養及法治交流合作基地，成為中國與東盟法治領域合作的重要力量。

目前，中國—東盟法律研究中心聘請泰國長公主帕查拉吉迪亞帕為名譽顧問，聘請柬埔寨司法部常務國務秘書、緬甸聯邦總檢察院總檢察長、老撾國會副主席等7名東盟國家咨詢委員，以及200余名東盟國家客座研究員。與柬埔寨和老撾司法部、東盟法律協會、泰國司法學院等30余所單位、20余家東盟國家律師事務所簽署合作協議。合作共建4個海外法律研究與咨詢中心，共同參與東盟國家法治建設等工作。

為構建法律專家庫，聘請共建“一帶一路”國家60余名法律法學界專家，協同海外法律領域機構開展學術活動及人才培養培訓項目。

近五年，中國—東盟法律研究中心整合中國與東盟法律法學研究資源，在推動高質量共建“一帶一路”的背景下，強化東盟研究元素，在東盟法治理論及實務研究、論著出版、數據庫建設、人才培養及法治聯盟建設等方面取得積極成效，為共商“一帶一路”法治建設創新發展提供相關經驗。

“我們一直在努力建設全球唯一的東盟國家法律數據庫及法律查明服務品牌，打造世界的東盟法律中心。”張曉君介紹，首期東盟國家法律數據庫已收錄40余萬條東盟十國法律數據并加工成可中英文檢索的數據庫，將有利于開展為包括中國當事人在內的世界各國提供東南亞國家法律查詢服務。

2020年，中國—東盟法律研究中心與重慶兩江新區（自貿區）法院聯合制定發布《陸海新通道沿線國家法律查明機制指引》，積極推動了重慶涉外案件裁判規則的國際對接，提升重慶涉外商事司法水平，成為重慶自由貿易試驗區制度創新案例。

傳播共建“一帶一路”中國法治經驗

2023年11月，陸海新通道法律服務聯盟在第五屆中國—東盟法治論壇開幕式上揭牌。聯盟將服務于陸海新通道沿線國家及“13+2”省（區、市），助力重慶打造對外開放新高地。

目前，中國—東盟法律研究中心已推出共建“一帶一路”國家（東盟國家）高端法治人才培養項目，招收近100余名碩博士留學生，組織培訓近200名東盟國家司法官員、律師和學者。創設“訂單式”為東盟國家組織培養法治高端人才的模式，成功推動東盟國家法治建設的法律援助工作，進一步傳播中國法治經驗。

組織出版《東盟國家國別外商投資法律事務指南》《“一帶一路”建設中國際貿易和投資風險防控法律實務叢書》等系列叢書。其中，2020年出版的《緬甸外商投資法律實務指南》，是中國法學界與東盟國家法律組織加強法律服務合作的有益嘗試和探索，更是中緬法律法學界以法治手段推動共建“一帶一路”的實際行動。

下一步，中國—東盟法律研究中心將匯聚專家產出更多的決策建言，打造合作平臺，服務區域發展。張曉君表示，除了完成現有國家重大課題和部委委托重大課題，推進與東盟國家法律法學組織的法治課題對接，出版東盟法治研究精品成果《中國—東盟法律評論》等，還將通過精準發布聯合課題、研發國際規則、參與東盟國家立法援助，加快開展對瀾湄合作機制的法律研究。

還將繼續打造共建“一帶一路”國家和地區法律查明服務中心數據庫與服務平臺。推進專家庫建設，為法律查明提供專業人才儲備。提升中國—東盟法治論壇在中國與東盟法學法律界的影響力，發揮中心在中國與東盟法治交流合作中的重要作用，以文化互鑒促進構建中國—東盟命運共同體。

圖/受訪者提供