Shanghai offers lawyers to all foreign suspects

Shanghai has pledged to provide free legal aid to all foreigners facing a criminal charge as part of efforts to better protect human rights, according to the city's judicial authorities.

The policy, which took effect on Dec 29, will help better protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign suspects while ensuring the effective implementation of laws, the Shanghai Bureau of Justice said on Tuesday.

All foreign criminal suspects will be provided with a legal aid lawyer if they don't hire their own attorney, while such lawyers are provided for free only to low-income Chinese offenders.