BEIJING -- A total of 372 lawyers from Hong Kong and Macao have obtained certificates of practice for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a senior official from the Ministry of Justice said Thursday.

They are among more than 1,500 lawyers from Hong Kong and Macao who attended special examinations to obtain the certificates, said Tian Xin, chief of the ministry's Bureau of Lawyers' Work, at a press conference.

Lawyers in Greater Bay Area have taken their advantages of being familiar with laws of Hong Kong and Macao as well as relevant foreign laws, and also being familiar with laws of the mainland, and actively handled civil and commercial litigation and arbitration as well as legal affairs in areas such as investment and intellectual property rights that involve Hong Kong and Macao or foreign entities, Tian said.

In 2020, the central government began a trial program allowing lawyers from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions to obtain licenses and practice in nine cities in South China's Guangdong province.

In September this year, the trial program was extended to 2026, with the related policies improved to make the process easier.

The ministry will further improve policies on opening up mainland's legal service to Hong Kong and Macao legal professionals and refine supportive measures to enable them to enjoy better opportunities, Tian said.