China's top judge yesterday listed the fair and efficient trial of cases related to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules as an "important" task in the years to come.
President of the Supreme People's Court Xiao Yang made the remarks at a forum where judges from local courts discussed WTO-related legal issues.
Xiao stressed it is imperative judges strictly abide by laws in exercising jurisdiction and that all litigants be treated fair.
Cases should be handled by applying related laws, regulations and judicial interpretations, and any external interference must be weeded out.
Li Guoguang, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, predicted many new types of cases will appear as the number of foreign litigants increases.
Li said cases in the banking, insurance, securities, financing and leasing sectors were likely to emerge.
He also forecast an increase in bankruptcy cases, labour disputes, and rows related to trademarks, patents, dumping and anti-subsidy.
It is expected Chinese courts will be under increasing pressure in days following the nation's official entry into the WTO as more foreign investment is ploughed into the Chinese market.
Judges in South China's Guangdong Province have already felt the challenge, witnessing surging numbers of cases involving overseas litigants and the growth in the money involved, according to Lu Botao, president of the Guangdong High People's Court.
Sources with the Supreme People's Court said it had made a total of 1,226 judicial interpretations by earlier this month.
(China Daily November 21, 2001)
