Calling for the continuation of legal service reform, Minister of Justice Zhang Fusen said at a national conference that the nation's law firms and notary offices should provide qualified legal services for enterprises, farmers and the development of China's western regions to prepare the nation for entry into the World Trade Organization.

To that end, the minister pledged to improve the qualification system for those entering the legal profession, including the annual registration and the training.

The ministry will standardize the management of Chinese branches of overseas law firms and improve the competitiveness of Chinese attorneys, Zhang said.

In addition, Zhang said his ministry will encourage legal service providers to take an active part in local and national legislation so that they play their due role in the process of the rule of law.

The Ministry of Justice has been working on a number of laws, including the revision of the Lawyer's Law, a law on re-education through labour and a law on public notary work.

The legislation of a law on re-education through labour is expected to come out this year, while the law on public notary work has already been listed on the agenda of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, Zhang said.

Zhang also announced at yesterday's meeting that the ministry will have trained all judicial administrative officials and wardens in prisons and re-education-through-labour centres by next year. Those who fail exams organized by the ministry will not be employed, Zhang said.

To equip the general public with more legal knowledge, Zhang said the ministry this year will strive to strengthen legal awareness among the nation's leaders, officials, civil servants and students. It will also continue providing legal knowledge training for entrepreneurs.

This year marks the beginning of the fourth five-year campaign to popularize basic legal knowledge among the public. The campaign, since its first introduction 15 years ago, is regarded as a major contributor to the success of the rule of law.

Statistics from the ministry indicate that more than 10,000 leaders above the provincial level took part in lectures on basic legal knowledge in the past five years.

(China Daily 01/17/2001)