Professor He Jiahong, who teaches criminal law and anti-corruption investigation techniques to students and government officials at Renmin University in Beijing, has invited me to join him at a seminar he is hosting there before we go to lunch. Also present, seated around a table in the middle of the room, are Lord Justice Toulson, a UK Supreme Court judge, and three other visiting British jurists, who are exchanging views on judicial precedent with a dozen or so Chinese legal experts. Behind them are rows of desks packed with students.

Wearing a black shirt, black sweater and red tie, the 61-year-old professor is softly spoken but commands the audience’s attention with a quiet authority and understated humour.

A frequent commentator in state media and a regular speaker at international legal conferences, he is also well known as the author of five popular crime novels, featuring a crusading lawyer, that have been translated into English, French, Spanish and Italian.