Lawyers from Malaysia and China team up to solve legal disputes

Global Business

Thousands of Chinese study in Malaysia and close to 2 million will visit as tourists this year.  But a plan that spans dozens of countries will also inevitably result in more legal headaches, in many differing legal systems.

China and Malaysia now do more than $100 billion of trade a year. Chinese investment in Malaysia has grown sharply, further boosting the number of Chinese citizens living there.

CGTN’s Rian Maelzer reports from Kuala Lumpur.

Transnational initiatives like One Belt, One Road may bring huge opportunities to China and many other countries. However, a project that spans across dozens of countries will also inevitably result in more legal challenges, prompting a group of lawyers in Malaysia and China to team up and help each other’s’ businesses and citizens.

“We are facing a different legal culture and the investing community must be educated and when they face a problem we will be there to help them,” Loh Chang Woo, president of Malaysia China Legal Cooperation Society, said.

While larger companies will have their own in-house legal counsel, that’s not the case for small and medium enterprises.

“We want to encourage more small or medium enterprises to invest in Malaysia. We want to give them peace of mind when they are in Malaysia,” Loh Chang Woo said.

Chinese businesses like Taetea group, a tea specialist company, welcomed the move.

The society has also set up a help line to assist Chinese citizens in legal need.

With the Belt and Road initiative and investment straddling dozens of countries, languages and legal systems, others may want to follow Malaysia’s example and swiftly start building legal bridges with China.