China’s courts are working to ensure that fairness and justice are tangibly felt in every case, providing strong judicial support for national development and social stability, Deng Xiuming, executive vice-president of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), said in a recent interview with Outlook Weekly magazine.
Deng noted that the issuance of the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Strengthening Adjudication Work in the New Era” in 2025 set higher standards for the judiciary and marked a significant step forward in advancing the rule of law. Courts have since placed greater emphasis on aligning the rule of law with reform, development, and stability, while better safeguarding and promoting social equity and justice, Deng noted. By effectively fulfilling their core functions of punishing crime, protecting the people, resolving disputes, and upholding fairness, courts nationwide have been providing high-quality judicial services for advancing Chinese modernization, he added.
He said courts have continued to implement a balanced criminal justice policy that combines severity with leniency. First-instance criminal cases and cases of serious violent crimes that were concluded by courts in 2025 declined by 11.4 percent and 7.3 percent respectively, reflecting continued improvements in public security, according to Deng. Severe penalties were imposed on offenders whose illegal acts had seriously endangered national security and public safety, while leniency was granted in minor offenses where defendants show remorse and make restitution, balancing legal rigor with social harmony, he added.
Efforts to combat emerging crimes have also been intensified. Deng pointed out that telecom and online fraud remains a major concern, with courts concluding 41,000 related cases in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 1.2 percent.
At the same time, courts have focused on resolving disputes at an early stage with diversified methods and well-structured mechanisms. In 2025, courts nationwide handled 37.486 million cases involving judgment enforcement and concluded 36.2 million cases, representing year-on-year increases of 10.8 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively, he said.
In 2025, the number of partner organizations participating in the diversified dispute resolution mechanism reached 18, and 654,000 disputes were settled through dispute resolution platforms run by courts, a year-on-year increase of 4.3 times. Appeal rates and retrial application rates fell by 2.4 and 0.6 percentage points, respectively. These improvements effectively reduced over 2.2 million follow-up cases, significantly enhancing public confidence in judicial fairness, Deng noted.
On supporting high-quality development, Deng said courts have played an active role in fostering innovation and strengthening legal safeguards for long-term development. In 2025, courts concluded 496,000 intellectual property cases and strengthened protection through more effective remedies, while 19,000 individuals were convicted of intellectual property-related crimes, up 6.2 percent year on year.
Efforts to curb frivolous litigation have also delivered tangible results. Courts dismissed 2,331 cases and imposed judicial sanctions in 694 cases as part of efforts to deal with abnormal bulk intellectual property lawsuits, while the proportion of such cases in the copyright sector dropped by 15 percentage points, according to Deng.
Courts have also contributed to building a unified national market. Deng noted that judicial efforts have strengthened consumer protection, upheld fair competition, and improved bankruptcy mechanisms to optimize resource allocation. In 2025, courts concluded 32,000 bankruptcy cases, helping 1,481 companies overcome distress and regain viability while facilitating the lawful exit of 29,000 “zombie enterprises”, resolving debts totaling 4 trillion yuan and revitalizing 1.1 trillion yuan in assets.
Legal protection for market entities remains a key principle, Deng said. Courts have safeguarded the legitimate rights of private enterprises and regulated improper law enforcement practices. In 709 cases, courts invalidated improper payment clauses imposed by large companies, helping small and medium-sized enterprises recover 1.9 billion yuan in overdue payments.
At the same time, efforts have been made to regulate law enforcement and judicial practices involving enterprises, with 367 cases of disproportionate penalties corrected in accordance with the law. Enforcement mechanisms have also been strengthened, supported by improved coordination between case filing, adjudication, and enforcement, Deng noted. In 2025, 5.837 million cases were subject to preservation and enforcement measures, the voluntary compliance rate in civil judgments increased by 2.7 percentage points year-on-year, and 2.2 trillion yuan was recovered through enforcement actions.
Courts have supported the green transition through judicial measures, Deng pointed out. In 2025, 24,000 criminal cases and 164,000 civil cases related to environment and natural resources were concluded, with effective use of legal tools such as injunctions to prevent or mitigate ecological damage. Courts handled 115 carbon-related cases, up 6.5 percent year on year, contributing to the improvement of legal frameworks for carbon-related finance, carbon taxation, and emissions governance.
Deng stressed that judicial work is closely tied to people’s well-being and courts have upheld a people-centered approach in case handling. In 2025, they concluded 674,000 labor dispute cases and helped recover 24.12 billion yuan in unpaid wages for migrant workers. Courts have also improved legal protection for homebuyers by supporting housing delivery and clarifying responsibilities of contractors for construction quality.
He added that courts are addressing prominent social issues through judicial measures. New rules and guiding cases have been introduced to regulate excessive bride price practices, curb related misconduct, and promote healthier social norms.
Deng also highlighted progress in foreign-related adjudication. In 2025, courts concluded 40,000 first-instance foreign-related cases, up 23.5 percent year-on-year. By ensuring equal protection for Chinese and foreign parties and fostering a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory, and predictable business environment, China is becoming an increasingly preferred venue for resolving international commercial disputes.
At the same time, courts have firmly safeguarded national sovereignty, security and development interests in accordance with the law, while actively contributing to global governance. Chinese judicial practices have gained growing international recognition, Deng noted. The United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, an important outcome of China’s judicial practice in advancing innovation in international trade rules, was adopted by the UN General Assembly, facilitating cross-border multimodal transport and trade financing involving China-Europe Railway Express services and the Belt and Road Initiative. The Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships, the first international maritime convention named after a Chinese city, has also officially come into force. A total of 210 typical cases from Chinese courts have been selected by international organizations such as the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Intellectual Property Organization, Deng noted.
