Good morning, ladies and gentlemen !

It is my great honour and pleasure to welcome you most warmly on behalf of the Institute of International Law of CASS.

First of all, I thank EU and Konrad Adenauer Foundation for sponsoring this important conference and promoting Euro - Asian dialogue and cooperation. I also thank you all for being here, especially those from afar.

As a key think-tank for the Chinese central government, CASS has 31 institutes and 45 research centers. As one of the institutes of CASS, the duty of our institute is to conduct research in international law and provide advisory services to the government. The issue of transnational organized crimes is part of our research areas. International criminal law is also one of my research areas.

Our institute has at least two research centers whose research areas cover the topic of this conference, namely the Center for International Criminal Law and the Center for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. Our research staff not only provide advisory services to the government in oceans law and policy, but also provide consultancy services to international organizations, including the United Nations. For instance, Prof. Wang Hanling served as a consultant to UN and developed the UN training manual on ocean management. Prof. LIU Nanlai is member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. This conference provides a good opportunity for our staff and other Chinese participants to exchange with our friends and colleagues from abroad.

Transnational Organized Crimes, including maritime crimes, are a major concern of the international community. Many countries including China and their citizens are victims of these crimes. There are some international instruments dealing with these crimes. For example, the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, adopted in November 2000, is the main international instrument in the fight against transnational organized crimes. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provides the international legal framework for countering piracy and other maritime crimes. Most countries are parties to these treaties. However, transnational organized crimes are still rampant. The main cause is deficiencies in the implementation of the existing treaties. Combating transnational crimes requires international cooperation, not only between neighboring countries, but between regions and even continents. That is why our conference is important and meaningful .

Many of you are diplomats, military and law enforcement officials with practical experience in combating transnational crimes. Other participants are also experts in this field. I hope and believe that the outcome of this conference will be conducive to our further understanding of the status of transnational crimes by sea in Asia and Europe as well as international exchanges and cooperation in this field.

I wish you a successful event. For our foreign friends, I hope you enjoy your stay in Beijing. I sincerely hope to have more opportunities to exchange and cooperate with you in the future.

Thank you !

（2014年5月12日，北京）