Now that China's entry into the
World
Trade Organization (WTO) is a done deal, Chinese courts face
the important task of handling affairs according to WTO rules and
making sure the rules are carried out properly.
The remark was made by Xiao Yang, President of China's Supreme
People's Court, Wednesday.
According to Xiao, staff of the Supreme People's Court, officials
with some higher, intermediate people's courts, as well as maritime
courts have met in Beijing to ascertain how courts at various
levels will react under the new situation.
Along with China's accession into WTO, China will gradually open
sectors involving finance, insurance, telecom, commerce, transport,
construction, tourism and intermediate service to overseas
investors, and market mechanisms featuring unification, free and
fair competition will be put in place step by step.
"Open and fierce competition will naturally cause a rise in the
number of litigation cases at courts, especially court cases
involving foreign nationals," Xiao said.
At
a specially convened seminar Tuesday, Xiao also spelled out the
post-WTO challenges Chinese courts will face.
New laws, regulations and rules need to be drafted, and some
decrees also need to be amended, while some obsolete laws must be
abolished, Xiao said.
He
added it was also necessary to adhere to the principle of "justice
and efficiency," do a good job in court trials, especially those
cases involving overseas investors, train more qualified judges,
and deepen court reform.
( November 22, 2001)