The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, was in Beijing to meet with Mainland officials to strengthen ties in legal affairs and mutual judicial assistance.

Ms Chan led a delegation to the Ministry of Public Security and exchanged views with officials there on 3 February on the transfer of suspects and to enhance judiciary assistance.

During her three-day visit, she met with the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xu Ze; the Director of the Committee for the Basic Law of the Macao SAR under the NPC Standing Committee, Mr Li Fei; and the Vice Minister of Public Security, Mr Chen Zhimin.

In her first visit in her current post, Ms Chan said the Macao Government would rule according to the aspirations pointed out by the President Xi Jinping, who was in Macao for the inauguration of new term government last December, and the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On.

The Macao Government would follow its policy principles to strengthen legal ruling, enhance administrative effectiveness, streamline the government team, promote administrative reforms, advance legal awareness, and step up efforts to turn Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure, and a commercial and trade co-operation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, she said.

Mr Xu Ze and Mr Li said they supported the Macao government in ruling in accordance with the law and recognised its policy direction to strengthen reforms in administration and laws.

The delegation included members from Ms Chan’s office, the Office of the President of the Court of Final Appeal, the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Public Prosecutions Office, the Office of the Secretary for Security, the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, the Legal Affairs Bureau, and the Law Reform and International Law Bureau.