Court blacklist prevents millions from flying, taking high-speed trains

Debtors and people in contempt of court have been prevented from flying 6.15 million times since an online blacklist of defaulters was launched in 2013, China's top court said on Tuesday.

During the same period, those refusing to abide by court verdicts have been denied sales of high-speed train tickets 2.22 million times, the court said in a statement.

The Supreme People's Court established its blacklist four years ago, in a bid to urge defaulters to repay their debts. So far, about 6.73 million debtors have been named on the list.

In addition to restrictions on travel, those on the list can also be penalized in other areas of their daily lives.

So far, 71,000 defaulters have missed out on executive positions at enterprises as a result of their debts, while the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China said it had refused loans worth more than 6.97 billion yuan ($1.01 billion) to debtors, according to the court's statement.

"It is hoped that by imposing such inconveniences on their daily lives, debtors will be encouraged to pay back the money they owe in a timely manner," the court said in its statement.

"Our desire is to hold defaulters accountable and ensure verdicts are effectively implemented."