Foreigners to get better legal service

Officers from a border check station's legal aid service department talk to sailors on board an Italian vessel about China's entry and exit laws. The Bayuquan border check station is the first of its kind in Liaoning province to establish the legal aid service in order to ease conflicts. [Photo/Xinhua]

Last year in China, 15,348 civil and commercial cases involving foreigners were recorded, basically the same as recorded in 2014, according to the top court.

"How well we can handle these commercial disputes involving foreigners will, to some extent, affect the country's Belt and Road Initiative and its efforts to operate a slew of free trade zones," he said.

The initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, covers the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to improve connectivity and boost trade with countries along the ancient trade routes spanning Asia, Europe and Africa.

Solving such commercial litigation means foreign businesspeople can receive good legal services in China, so this will help build an open, safe and efficient economic system in the country, Zhou said.

The top judge asked all courts to treat litigants, Chinese and foreign, on an equal footing, adding that sound protection of legal rights and strict law enforcement will contribute to China's economic prosperity.

He also asked Chinese courts to be more active in participating in international rule-making, saying this will give the country a stronger voice in world legal affairs.

Meanwhile, Chinese courts concluded 649 criminal cases involving foreigners last year, down 7.15 percent from 2014, according to official statistics.

But there are still some thorny issues, such as a lack of judges who can speak English well and who have a good knowledge of foreign laws, Zhou said.