The head of China’s top court met with a visiting group led by Sudan’s Chief Justice Haidar Ahmed Dafa'alla on Sept 28 in Beijing, signing a memorandum of understanding.

Zhou Qiang, chief justice and president of the Supreme People's Court of China, and Sudan’s Chief Justice Haidar Ahmed Dafa'alla shake hands after signing a memorandum of understanding on Sept 28 in Beijing. [Photo by Sun Ruofeng/The People's Courts News and Communication Agency]

Zhou Qiang, chief justice and president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China, welcomed Haidar, expressing his thanks for Haidar’s joining of the Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Judicial Cooperation Forum.

Zhou said Sudan is an old friend of China. Based on an equal footing, the two sides' cooperation in many fields has achieved fruitful results.

He said the visit by Haidar will surely open a new chapter of judicial cooperation between the two countries.

Zhou introduced China’s progress in implementing the rule of law and enforcing judicial reform, saying that courts of various levels in the country are working hard to achieve the goal of “l(fā)etting the people feel fairness and justice in every single case”.

China’s courts are deepening judicial openness - setting up platforms to give the public free access to trial processes, judgment documents, and enforcement information - to build an open, dynamic, transparent and people-oriented judicial mechanism, he added.

Smart courts around the country are promoting inter-connectivity and data sharing to increase trial quality and public benefit.

China’s first internet court was set up in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on August 18 to explore positive new trial procedures.

Haidar echoed Zhou, speaking highly of the Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Judicial Cooperation Forum.

He also expressed his wishes for closer ties in the judicial relationship between the two countries, promoting the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.