Justice Minister Gao Changli said at today's certificate issuance ceremony that "after China joins the World Trade Organization, the legal service sector in China will be further opened."

Since July 1992, when China first open its legal offices to overseas markets, the Ministry of Justice has approved 92 law offices from 11 countries and 28 Hong Kong law firms to establish representative offices in China.

The law firms from foreign countries, namely USA, UK, France, Australia, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Jordan and Switzerland, as well as Hong Kong law firms have branch offices in 10 Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

The minister said that China will further open its legal service sector "in accordance with WTO commitments", and promote economic and trade between the lawyers at home and abroad.

"The Ministry is drafting regulations concerning the operation of foreign law firms in China," he said.

One of the most well-known law firms to open offices here is White & Case LLP from the United States. The firm has over 20 years dealing with China.

Duane Wall, chairman of the White & Case LLP, said at today's ceremony, as a firm committed to international practices and bridging differences between cultures and countries, his firm's philosophy, despite having established 32 offices in 24 countries, has always been incomplete without a presence in China's mainland, that is until today.

He said that it is widely anticipated that China will become a WTO member by the end of the year, which created a new, positive atmosphere in the international business community.

"It is thus propitious that White & Case is opening an office in China at this historic moment," he said.

Ambassadors and consulates from Switzerland, Italy, Singapore, Japan and other countries attended today's ceremony presided over by Duan Zhenkun, vice-minister of justice.

(People's Daily 06/09/2000)