China is enhancing its maritime legal framework and adjudication approach to support the high-quality development of its marine economy and position itself as a leading hub for resolving international maritime disputes, according to the country’s top judge.
Since the establishment of maritime courts more than 40 years ago, marine disputes have surged from 18 cases in 1984 to an estimated 34,400 in 2024, the report showed. Over the past four decades, 88,000 cases have involved foreign parties, and a growing number of international litigants are choosing to bring their cases to Chinese maritime courts, even when their disputes have no direct connection to China, the report stated.
