Judges from China and ASEAN members reached an agreement on Thursday to strengthen continuous judicial communication and cooperation in order to guarantee social security and economic prosperity in the region.

With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, exchanges between China and ASEAN have expanded in multiple areas. However, business disputes and cross-border crimes, such as drug trafficking and smuggling, continue to increase, Zhou Qiang, president of China's Supreme People's Court, said at the opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN Justice Forum.

More than 100 judicial officers attended the forum, held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, including presidents and chief judges from Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. South Asian nations such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan were also invited.

Kanagasabapathy Sripavan, Sri Lanka's chief justice, said: "It's my first time to attend the forum. We were specially invited this year because Sri Lanka is an important partner along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The forum offers us a good chance to learn about China's judicial achievements in recent years."

Veerapol Tungsuwan, president of Thailand's Supreme Court, said: "The judicial exchange between China and Thailand has enjoyed 26 years of history since 1991. I am glad to see more and more countries involved in the forum and sharing their judicial reform experiences, which will no doubt deepen mutual understanding and accelerate regional prosperity. "

The forum was previously held in 2014, focusing on judicial reform, the training of judges and dispute resolution.

zhangli@chinadaily.com.cn