II. Hearing Economic Cases according to Law to Promote Healthy and Sustainable Economic Development

—— Strengthening commercial adjudication. The SPC equally protected the legitimate rights and interests of all kinds of market entities according to law, and provided judicial guarantee to speed up transformation of economic development patterns, and make economic progress while maintaining stability. The people's courts at various levels concluded 3.957 million commercial cases of first instance. The SPC issued a judicial interpretation on enterprise bankruptcy law to standardize bankruptcy procedure, and guarantee creditors to have fair compensation. The people's courts at various levels concluded 1,998 cases of enterprise bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the SPC also issued judicial interpretations on the insurance law and export credit insurance. The people's courts at various levels concluded 714,000 financial dispute cases concerning insurance, securities and bills. Moreover, the SPC further enhanced judicial response to new situations and problems emerging in economic and social development, seriously studied legal issues serving the real economy and private lending, duly put forward judicial suggestions, and actively prevented and precluded risks.

—— Strengthening intellectual property rights adjudication. The people's courts protected the patent rights, copyrights and trademark rights according to law, intensified judicial protection of Internet intellectual properties rights, cracked down unfair competition and monopoly according to law, to maintain a sound market environment for fair competition, and to promote the construction of the national innovation system. The people's courts at various levels concluded 100,000 cases of first instance on intellectual properties. The courts were also actively involved in the specific action of cracking down on infringement of intellectual properties, and manufacturing and selling of counterfeit goods, published white paper and typical cases on judicial protection of intellectual properties, and established a sound image of China in judicial protection of intellectual properties.

—— Enhancing Maritime Trials involving Foreign Parties, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese, and Strengthening Judicial Exchanges and Cooperation. The people's courts gave equal protection to the legitimate rights and interests of the parties involved from home and abroad, to facilitate development of the open economy. The people's courts at various levels concluded 5,364 foreign-related commercial cases of first instance, 15,000 cases involving Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and 11,000 cases of maritime affairs and maritime commerce. The people's courts properly heard cases on maritime pollution and resources development, to effectively safeguard maritime rights and interests of the country. The people's courts attached great importance to the adjudication of cases involving Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese, and safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives. The courts actively launched judicial exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and other countries, promoted the convening of the second Cross-Strait & Hong Kong, Macao High-level Judicial Forum in Taiwan, and handled 13,000 international and regional judicial assistance cases including service of documents, taking of evidence, and judgment recognition.