The judiciary circles of China and the US have maintained a sound relationship of exchanges and communications, a senior Chinese leader in charge of legal affairs said in Beijing Monday.  

Luo Gan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remark when meeting with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the US Supreme Court Monday.

Ginsburg and her entourage are in Beijing for a visit to China at the invitation of the Supreme People's Court of China.

Luo said Ginsburg's visit to China will further promote exchanges and cooperation between the judiciary circles of the two countries.

Luo said that so far this year, Sino-US relations have generally maintained a stable momentum of development. The two countries have maintained close high-level communications and contact. Meanwhile, the two sides have achieved new progress in their cooperation in such areas as trade, economy, anti-terrorism and law enforcement. Luo said the courts of the two countries have also maintained good communications.

Luo said China pays attention to the important role of law in social and economic development. China has set a fundamental guideline and strategy of governing the country by law and building a socialist country governed by law.

Luo said that in order to build a harmonious society based on democracy, law and justice, China will strengthen the development of its legal system. Therefore, he said China places importance on having international exchanges and cooperation with other judiciary circles.

Ginsburg said her current trip to China helped deepen her understanding of China's court system. During the visit, she saw a lot of things China has done to develop its legal system.

Ginsburg expressed the willingness to further expand the exchanges and cooperation between the justice circles of the two countries, noting that more justices from US courts will visit China as the 22nd Congress on the Law of the World is to be held in the country later this year.

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2005)