China to set up an International Maritime Judicial Centre

China’s Supreme Court is setting up its own international maritime “judicial centre” to handle territorial disputes. China has been consistently fighting with its neighbours in Maritime borders in South China Sea.

China & its controversies

• China claims a large swathe of the South and East China Sea, creating multiple overlaps with areas claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan
• The new announcement by China is not welcomed by its rivals across the borders
• The Philippines currently has a case lodged against China at the UN’s Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague
• Philippines claims that the nine-dash line, which China uses to demarcate its claims, is unlawful under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
• Beijing has refused to participate in the tribunal, saying the court has no power to rule on the matter
• China disputes a group of uninhabited islets with Japan in the East China Sea

Maritime Court

• The announcement of the new centre came from Chief Justice Zhou Qiang during the ongoing annual meeting of China’s parliament
• Zhou said about 16,000 maritime cases were heard by Chinese courts last year, the most in the world
• He also told that China has most Maritime Courts in the world
• He told that building an international maritime judicial center is needed to safeguard China’s national sovereignty, maritime rights and other core interests

Points to note

• China Capital– Beijing
• President – Xi-Jinping
• Currency- Yuen