The nation's top court Wednesday pledged to build China into an
Asian-Pacific maritime law center by 2010.
China is "one of the Asia-Pacific countries with the most
maritime judicial bodies and the strongest adjudicatory capacity,"
said Wan Exiang, vice president of the Supreme People's Court.
The court is working on detailed measures and a timeline.
Speaking at a seminar in Beijing, Wan said that establishing
credibility is still crucial to realizing that goal. "The key lies
in fair judgments that establish the authoritativeness (of the
Chinese maritime courts) among litigants both at home and
abroad."
The call accompanies efforts by the Supreme People's Court to
make local courts fair and efficient.
China has 10 maritime courts along its coast and the Yangtze
River, one of the nation's busiest waterways. Last year they
handled nearly 9,700 cases, a huge jump from the few dozens handled
by each court every year when they were first created two decades
ago.
"We should note there is still room for growth in cases
involving overseas litigants," said Cao Jianming, also a vice
president of the Supreme People's Court.
By the end of last month, such cases accounted for less than 14
percent of the total caseload.
Unlike the people's courts whose jurisdiction coincides with the
administrative reach of governments on different levels, the 10
maritime courts are cross-provincial. They have effectively warded
off local protectionism.
More than 70 percent of the judges have at least four years of
college and are among the best in the nation.
Still, said Cao, maritime legislation is also needed. Apart from
further developing laws on oil pollution and shipping, such
legislation as the Maritime Law needs revision.
China set up the first maritime courts in 1984.
(China Daily June 24, 2004)