The present document of Human Rights Watch (HRW) concerns the development of an independent legal profession in China. HRW concludes that China still lacks many guarantees in law and practice for this development. HRW states that The independence of lawyers is a fundamental principle of international law. Lawyers play a key role in the administration of justice and protection of human rights. The importance that the international community places upon the independence of the judiciary and of lawyers is evidenced by their prominence in numerous international and regional treaties, United Nations (UN) resolutions, and international statements, to many of which China has agreed, such as the Beijing Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary and the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.