China courts see surge in maritime cases, foreign disputes

China's top court has released a report on maritime trials, highlighting efforts by Chinese courts to improve case handling and how their rulings have contributed to building a strong maritime nation over the past three years.

The report, released in both Chinese and English, said that from 2022 to 2024, courts nationwide handled 98,726 maritime cases, with Chinese maritime courts increasingly becoming a preferred forum for resolving international maritime disputes.

The Supreme People's Court said that during the three-year period, maritime courts accepted 6,823 foreign-related cases, of which 6,071 were concluded. The cases involved parties from 143 countries and regions.

Over the same period, maritime courts seized 2,592 vessels, including 49 foreign vessels, and auctioned 1,376 vessels, 13 of which were foreign, according to the report.

While safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime rights, the report said, China's maritime courts have also strengthened protection of seafarers' rights and promoted the stable development of international trade. It said the courts have provided strong judicial services and support for the high-quality development of maritime advantage industries and emerging sectors, including modern shipping, offshore wind power, shipbuilding, and advanced marine engineering equipment manufacturing.

The report also said China has attached great importance over the past three years to improving its domestic maritime regulatory framework, working with legislative bodies to amend laws and regulations such as the Maritime Code.

From 2022 to 2024, the courts made public 33 notable maritime cases and seven special guiding cases on maritime trials. In addition, 138 maritime cases were added to the database established by the top court, the report said.