Forum on law in digital economy collects ideas

Chinese courts have pledged to promote the rule of law in the digital economic development, through international exchange on the issue to ensure the global economy grows in a more open and inclusive fashion.

While the internet, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain and other technologies have played a major role in the rapid development of the digital economy, they have also changed our means of production, lifestyles and methods of governance, Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court, China's top court, said.

While these changes have been beneficial, he added that improving digital economic governance is crucial to ensuring that it develops in a health and orderly manner.

Zhou made the remarks at the Forum on the Rule of Law in the Digital Economy, which was held by the SPC on Thursday, as a demonstration of the desire of Chinese courts to communicate with other countries on the matter.

"We'd like to share our ideas and experience of the digital economy, internet governance, its technological applications to the judicial field and innovation in litigation with the world, and we also want to learn what other nations are doing, in order to work together to uphold justice and promote digital economic development," he said.

The forum was held via video link due to the ongoing pandemic, with domestic and international representatives exchanging ideas on a number of important issues surrounding the rule of law in the digital economy, such as how to apply and regulate technology in judicial sector as well as how to innovate and reform litigation in the digital era.

Speaking during the conference, Yuan Jiajun, Party secretary of Zhejiang province, said that thanks to its concentration of internet and Hi-Tech enterprises, Zhejiang places particular importance on developing the digital economy through the rule of law and has accumulated a great deal of relevant experience that it is willing to share to create a fair, open and orderly environment for technological innovation.

Victor Dassi Adossou, president of Benin's Supreme Court, said that digitalization increasingly appears to be unavoidable as globalization is tested by crises such as COVID-19.

He said that digitalization calls for changes to the core of the judicial branch, and acquired habits, adding that it also represents an opportunity for the judiciary and the Supreme Court in particular, to explore, adapt and apply the revolutionary tool, even if it is only to speed up the processing of cases.

Nguyen Hoa Binh, chief justice of Vietnam's Supreme People's Court, said that Vietnam's judicial system is also in the process of reform, and is paying close attention to the application of advanced information technology to assist trials and improve quality and efficiency.

He said that the country's courts have been gradually moving operations onto digital platforms to replace the traditional way of doing things.

Against the backdrop of the rapid development of the digital economy, Nguyen added that Vietnamese courts are very interested in drawing on the experience of legislation and law enforcement in other countries, calling for judiciaries around the world to cooperate more on the rule of law in the digital economy.