Top court vows better support for foreign trade, maritime cases

Officials from China's top court vowed on Wednesday to enhance adjudication work on foreign-related commercial and maritime cases.

The authorities aim to provide better judicial service and support for the Belt and Road Initiative, development of free trade zones and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and to build China into a maritime power.

"During the past years, courts at various levels across the country have handled foreign-related commercial and maritime cases justly and effectively," said Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court, ahead of a relevant working conference.

The fifth National Working Conference on Foreign-related Commercial and Maritime Trials was held in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province.

Zhou said that the courts have studied and analyzed international conventions and participated in negotiations on international economic trade and maritime regulations, showing China's judicial image, protecting the territorial sovereignty as well as maritime interests, and contributing to reform and opening-up.

"More efforts should be made to accelerate the constructing process of an international commercial tribunal and an international maritime justice center as China's opening-up has entered a new era," said Zhou.

He added that there is also a need to promote the establishment of intelligent courts, build a special team and recruit judicial talents to make foreign-related commercial and maritime adjudication more professional.

Official statistics from China's top court said some 70 countries and regions are involved in foreign-related commercial and maritime cases heard by all levels of courts in China this year.

"The figure shows that China's international exchanges in economy have become wider and more dynamic," according to China's top court.

"It also reflects that litigants from both home and abroad have accepted and trusted China's judicial capacity."