On November 12, 2017, London was full of bright blue sky, the world-known city was in its beginning of winter. The non-governmental international bar organization with extensive influence in the international community, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association Held 2017 Mid Council Meeting and Regional Conference.

The day before the meeting coincided with the "11-11" E-Commerce Day in China and the Lord Mayor's Show, which has been held for hundreds of years. People from all walks of life dress neatly paraded in the main urban roads of London. The Bank of China team and the lion dancing crowd marked "One Belt One Road" had drawn special attention. That night, multicolored fireworks bloomed over the River Thames. All the members participating in the Council Meeting watched the fireworks with their wishes to the next day's meeting a complete success.

November 12 at 11 am, London time, the meeting entered into the key proposal -- the voting of 2020 host city. The President, President Elected, Vice President, Secretary General of IPBA and other senior officials and all directors carefully study the relevant reports, and invited Jurisdictional Council Member of China, Mr. Jack Li to present.

After a warm applause, Mr. Li, Jurisdictional Council Member of China and founding partner of Jin Mao Partners, first expressed his heartfelt thanks to all the leaders of the IPBA and all the members of the governing councils and nomination committees for their support to Shanghai’s bidding to host the 2020 Annual Meeting. He also thanked all the individuals and institutions that had written letters to IPBA for their support.

Li said Shanghai is the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Party, the largest ruling party in the world with greatest influence, and the birthplace of the Shanghai Bar Association, which has a history of 105 years. Mr. Xi Jinping, the president of the People’s Republic of China who proposed the "Belt and Road Initiative," was Party Secretary of the Shanghai Municipality 10 years ago. As the vanguard of reform and opening up and the forerunner of innovation and development, the Shanghai lawyer industry has always been at the forefront of the country. Shanghai is a city of magic capital with the reputation of "Paris of the East." In 1990, Li started his lawyer's practice in the city. In 1991, the IPBA was established in Asia. After 26 years of development, Shanghai has become Asia and the Pacific Regional and even internationally influential international bar organization. In 2007, the IPBA held its first annual meeting in Beijing, China, and achieved great success. 13 years from then on, this international bar organization will focus on Shanghai, the largest international city in China. It will be the first time for international bar organization to hold its annual meeting and conference in Shanghai since the city’s opening in 1843 and will surely greatly promote Chinese lawyers' active participation in rule of law in the new era so as to promote the participation of Chinese and foreign lawyers in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and help build the human community of shared future. Li believed and looked forward to the annual meeting and conference of Shanghai 2020 a memorable international bar event with the gracious care of the Chinese government and the strong support of colleagues from IPBA.

Li’s speech in English won the applause of all the participating directors, and all agreed that the city hosting the annual meeting and conference of IPBA in 2020 will be Shanghai, China. Li was nominated as a Vice-President of the IPBA at the same time. Suddenly, the audience sounded thunderous applause again. This applause was the recognition of the development of China's legal profession. This applause was the expectation and longing for the solicitation of lawyers of various countries in Shanghai three years from now. This applause was even the heartfelt praise for the great powers that have entered the new era and are actively building a community of human destiny.

Near 12 at noon, a group photo of the IPBA family and members marked the successful conclusion of the 2017 Jurisdictional Council Meeting. Directors of various countries had handshakes and congratulations to Mr. Jack LI, the Chinese Jurisdictional council member, and all of them were looking forward to meeting and gathering in Shanghai 2020. Mr. Francis Xavier, a well-known Singapore lawyer, and the Vice-President of IPBA, said that the future of Asia was in China, the future of the world was in China. The Belt and Road was leading the new pattern of world development.

Regional Conferences Focused on the Belt and Road Initiative

On November 13, 2017, IPBA held a regional conference in London in magnificent CMS office building. A theme focusing on legal and technological changes and the "One Belt and Road" cross-border infrastructure construction attracted over 100 participants from international lawyers around the world. Mr. Jack Li was invited to give a keynote speech-- "Cross-Border Infrastructure Construction under the Belt and Road Initiative - Success Cases, Legal Risks and Legal Services". Alex, the leading British lawyer who presided over the meeting, commented on the 45-minute speech as the most comprehensive speech on the legal issues of the Belt and Road Initiative so far.

The Inter-Pacific Bar Association is an internationally renowned bar organization. For nearly 10 years, the All China Lawyers Association has sent many delegations to its annual meeting. In April this year, Auckland, New Zealand successfully held the 2017 annual meeting and conference of the IPBA and the All China Lawyers Association and the Shanghai Bar Association sent participants to the delegation. More than 60 Chinese lawyers gathered in Auckland to exchange and cooperate with the international lawyers and to share China's wisdom and contribute with China's practice.

Since the Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the "Belt and Road Initiative" in 2013, Chinese enterprises have been going globally. The legal business and internationalization of Chinese lawyers have been increasing, together with their international influence has been increasing year by year. In 2016, for the first time, the IPBA's Brussels Regional International Summit invited Chinese lawyers to focus on the cooperation and presentation of Chinese and foreign lawyers in the "Belt and Road Initiative" context. In September 2017, organized by IPBA and co-organized by several international arbitration agencies, the third Asia-Pacific International Arbitration Day invited Chinese lawyers to discuss on cross-border dispute resolution issues under the "One Belt and One Road". Mr. Jack Li from China was invited to deliver English speeches and was highly commented by participants.