Last week we looked at Chinese law firms' efforts to enter the London market. This week, we take a step back and look at some of the broader issues between China and the U.K. concerning lawyers. While there is momentum in the legal services industry, politics still hold sway in ways beyond lawyers' control.

For The Asian Lawyer, I am Anna Zhang, Law.com's Asia Bureau Chief. Welcome back to Law.com International's Asia Legal Briefing. And we have good news. This and other briefings my colleagues write such as The London Lawyer and The Global Lawyer are available also on our website. You will still be getting these in your inbox, and in addition to that, you will be able to read them in web forms here. And feel free to share comments and feedback at [email protected] or on Twitter @lawdotcomasia.

And we will see you at the Asia Legal Awards on Wednesday at 6 pm Hong Kong time. My colleague Vincent Chow will join me and the editors in revealing the winners. Don't miss it. Meanwhile, the China Law & Practice awards are now open for entries here. The deadline for submission is June 11.