BEIJING -- China has released a circular making explicit the standard procedure for the handling of maritime criminal cases by competent authorities.

Jointly released by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the China Coast Guard, the circular specified the rules for selecting the court of jurisdiction in different circumstances.

It also stipulated principles and procedures coast guard agencies should follow in investigating the cases and competent procuratorates to which they should file for arrest warrants or transfer the case for prosecution.

Coast guard agencies are subject to the supervision of procuratorates and build an information-sharing platform with the latter, according to the circular.