Prosecutors' foreign-related work in focus

The intensified multilateral and bilateral exchanges between China and other countries and regions have led to an increase in foreign-related legal cases in the country, which has made the importance and urgency of strengthening foreign-related procuratorial work more prominent, said Ying Yong, prosecutor-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

As high-level opening-up further advances, an increasing number of Chinese enterprises and citizens are venturing into the world, and China's development interests are expanding overseas at a faster pace. As a result, the country has witnessed an increase in the number, types and areas of foreign-related legal cases, and the demand for legal support from the State, enterprises, and citizens is growing, posing new and higher requirements for strengthening foreign-related procuratorial work, Ying, prosecutor-general of the SPP, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily, on the sidelines of the ongoing two sessions.

Also, foreign-related procuratorial work will attach great importance to combating transnational economic crimes, especially money laundering, illegal foreign exchange transactions, counterfeiting and infringement of intellectual property rights, to foster a world-class and market-oriented business environment supported by a sound legal framework, Ying said.

"We will equally protect the legitimate rights and interests of various domestic and foreign business entities in accordance with the law," Ying said. "We will uphold equal protection of various types of economic entities involving both domestic and foreign capital in line with the law, and hold those who infringe upon the property rights and legitimate interests of various economic entities equally accountable."

He said foreign-related procuratorial work is an important duty of procuratorial organs, a vital part of prosecution work, and an important aspect of the country's foreign-related rule of law. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to foreign-related rule of law and made a series of major decisions and plans.

On Nov 14, the national conference on foreign-related procuratorial work was held in Shanghai, marking the first meeting convened by the SPP specially dedicated to foreign-related procuratorial work.

In December, the SPP also published a guideline on strengthening foreign-related procuratorial work, based on broad research and investigation and extensive consultations, to effectively enhance the quality and efficiency of related work.

"Foreign-related procuratorial work must effectively shoulder a heavier responsibility in serving high-quality development and opening-up, more forcefully safeguarding the country's development interests, as well as protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens," Ying said.

Meanwhile, foreign-related procuratorial work also aims to lawfully safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of various entities such as Chinese citizens and enterprises overseas.

Prosecutorial authorities will coordinate with relevant departments to help enterprises solve legal issues abroad, and promote the better use of legal tools by overseas enterprises to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, Ying said.

"By strengthening coordination among different departments and enforcing international judicial cooperation, we will jointly build a strong legal support chain to protect China's overseas interests, and protect the legitimate rights and interests and production and living order of various entities such as Chinese citizens and enterprises overseas," he said.

As noted by Ying, procuratorial work will also better serve high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative by strengthening communication, exchanges and information sharing with procuratorial organs in countries taking part in the BRI. Efforts will also be made to continuously implement procuratorial policies that support and guarantee the development of free-trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Furthermore, procuratorial authorities will further deepen international judicial exchanges and cooperation as judicial exchanges and cooperation are a crucial part of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, Ying said.

"We have actively promoted high-level mutual visits among procuratorial authorities to expand the circle of friends," Ying said.

On Oct 28, Ying called for procuratorial authorities in China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to increase exchanges and cooperation, during his speech delivered at the opening of the 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors General Conference held in Singapore.

Also, meetings and exchanges with prosecutors-general and chairmen of judicial committees of more than 20 countries have been held in 2024. So far, the SPP has signed bilateral cooperation agreements with law enforcement and judicial agencies in 100 countries and regions worldwide.

Ying said procuratorial authorities will enhance practical cooperation with foreign prosecutorial authorities in combating transnational crimes and further intensify efforts to combat cross-border telecommunications fraud crimes.

"We will vigorously crack down on violent terrorist forces, ethnic separatist forces and religious extremist forces, and jointly punish international drug trafficking, cross-border gambling, online terrorist activities, telecommunications fraud, cross-border human trafficking, illegal border crossings and cross-border illegal sand mining," he said.

In April last year, the SPP, together with six other departments, jointly formulated the Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Implementation of the International Criminal Judicial Assistance Law of the People's Republic of China, further standardizing procedures for international criminal judicial assistance. After its implementation, 293 criminal judicial assistance cases were handled last year.

He added that it's necessary to actively participate in the formulation of foreign-related laws and regulations, as well as international rules.

"We will actively join discussions on important issues in international organizations and institutions, engage in the formulation of international rules in areas such as ecological environment protection, financial regulation, cyber governance, intellectual property protection, international economic and trade, as well as negotiations on criminal judicial assistance, extradition, and the transfer of sentenced persons treaties," Ying said.

In 2024, the SPP participated in negotiations and consultations on the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and three criminal judicial assistance treaties.