On the morning of 28 August 2017, Zou Ligang, professor and doctoral advisor of Law School of Hainan University, was invited to our court to give a lecture on the Study of Judicial Services and Support for the Belt and Road Initiative. The lecture was presided by Zhong Aiping, member of our special committee, and attended by all of the judges, court staff, and judicial personnel of the court.

Professor Zou took a global perspective and based his speech on relations between great powers, relations between neighbouring countries, and cooperation between amicable countries. The elaborated speech covered six aspects, namely the national Belt and Road Initiative, the relation between Hainan Province and the 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road projects, the restrictions that the South China Sea dispute placed on the maritime justice administration of the country and our province, the foundations of China’s maritime jurisdiction, China’s oceanic policies and law and main issues therein, the role of maritime judicial services in the building of the Maritime Silk Road and in rights protection in maritime areas.

Professor Zou’s lecture gave us a deeper insight into the origin and development of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the role of Hainan Province in supporting this national strategy. It strengthened our determination to seize this opportunity and provide better maritime judicial services and support for building a better Hainan.