China’s Supreme People’s Court held an international symposium on Chinese and foreign typical environment and resource cases at the National Judges College on May 20 in Beijing.

The symposium is a major course of the fourth national environment and resources judicial work seminar. Jiang Bixin, vice-president of the SPC attended and gave a speech.

It included sub-topics such as public interest litigation filed by social organizations and procuratorial organs.

Joyce Msuya, deputy executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), addressed the meeting via a video call.

China has made great achievements to promote the concept of ecological civilization and the Chinese judge team is the main player in the promotion effort, said Msuya.

She also described China’s measures to implement the idea of “green mountains and clear water are equal to mountains of gold and silver.”

China needs to properly learn from overseas judicial theories and experience on the basis of domestic demands on environment and resource judicial protection, said Jiang, adding that the country should improve its judicial capacity in the field as well as guard national environmental interests and safety.

International case discussions, judicature forums and judges visits in the field are encouraged in order to present China’s determination to protect the environment as well as the achievements it has made, according to Jiang.

UNEP has established a cooperative partnership with the SPC, which offers training on environmental rule of law to China’s judges and tells the country’s stories for the whole world, added Msuya.

China's ten judicial cases on the environment and resources were recently included in the environmental law database of UNEP, according to the SPC.