China creates global mediation body in HK

China signed a convention on Friday setting up a global mediation body in Hong Kong, which aims to be comparable to organizations such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

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Beijing has taken a more proactive approach in international affairs in recent years, expanding its influence in global bodies such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization -- especially as the United States has taken the opposite direction under President Donald Trump.

The move is also being seen as an attempt to shore up Hong Kong’s reputation as a leading place to conduct business, after Beijing’s imposition of a wide-ranging national security law in 2020 shook confidence in the impartiality of the city’s legal system.