A national conference on foreign-related prosecution was held in Shanghai on Thursday, marking the first time that the Supreme People's Procuratorate convened a national-level meeting dedicated to this aspect of legal oversight.

The conference, which gathered representatives from government departments, including the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, as well as prosecuting agencies on provincial-levels, served to review the advancements and achievements in foreign-related prosecution work in recent years, and discuss methods to enhance and fortify the standards of such prosecution efforts in the future.

Highlighting the pivotal role of foreign-related prosecution, Ying Yong, Party secretary and chief prosecutor at SPP, emphasized its importance within the prosecuting system and as a crucial component of the nation's foreign legal affairs.

"We must elevate the capabilities and standards of foreign-related prosecution work to contribute to the country's diplomacy, safeguard national security, and support high-quality development and extensive international openness," he said.

Ying outlined key directives, including enhancing international judicial cooperation, and fostering a legal, internationalized business environment. Also, he underscored the imperative of conducting cases strictly in accordance with the law, ensuring judicial fairness, implementing international criminal judicial assistance laws diligently, and advocating for equal protection of the lawful rights of both domestic and foreign parties to advance the refinement of foreign-related legal systems.

Tong Jianming, deputy Party secretary and deputy chief prosecutor at SPP, emphasized at the meeting the necessity of combating various crimes that endanger national security and intensifying efforts against transnational criminal activities.

"We must step up efforts in cross-border crime investigation and evidence collection," he said. "We'll also assign more prosecutors to deal with foreign-related affairs, handle foreign-related cases, and participate in international judicial cooperation and academic exchanges, so as to enhance their practical capabilities of foreign-related prosecution work."