China to establish international courts to deal with BRI cases

Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the BRI focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily with China. It is not yet clear how the three courts will deal with cases from different countries which have diverse legal system.

By: PTI | Beijing | Published: January 26, 2018 5:55 pm

President Xi Jinping said in October that fighting pollution was one of China’s key tasks through 2020, and the government has vowed to reduce air pollution across 28 northern cities this winter. (AP Photo)

China has decided to set up three international courts to deal with disputes related to its multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), under which it is making massive investments, according to official media here Friday. The Chinese Supreme People’s Court will set up international courts in Beijing, Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province and Shenzhen, state-run Global Times reported.

The Xi’an court in Northwest China will handle cases related to the Silk Road and the Shenzhen court in South China with those related to Maritime Silk Road disputes. Beijing will be the headquarters. The courts will weigh litigation, arbitration and mediation; providing legal support and solving initiative disputes, the report quoted another official Beijing Business News as saying.