BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's public legal services sector has provided more than 170 million legal consultations during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the Ministry of Justice announced on Monday.

Minister of Justice He Rong shared the figures at a press conference highlighting China's judicial work over the past five years.

She noted that the country has also stepped up efforts to enhance the balance and accessibility of public legal services across regions, while proactively addressing the legal needs of groups including migrant workers, people with disabilities, the elderly, juveniles, and military personnel and their families.

The minister also reported that China currently has 830,000 lawyers, 67,000 arbitrators, 15,000 notaries, 40,000 judicial appraisers and 12,000 legal aid workers. Together, they handle over 40 million cases annually.

During the same period, China expanded its engagement in international legal exchanges and cooperation to strengthen its capacity for foreign-related legal services.

The country has signed 91 treaties on legal assistance and 19 treaties on the transfer of sentenced persons, while processing over 16,000 international judicial assistance cases.

Additionally, Chinese law firms have established 207 branch offices in 37 countries and regions, supporting Chinese citizens and businesses in their "going global" endeavors. ■