Now that China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a done deal, Chinese courts face the important task of handling affairs according to WTO rules and making sure the rules are carried out properly.

The remark was made by Xiao Yang, President of China's Supreme People's Court, Wednesday.

According to Xiao, staff of the Supreme People's Court, officials with some higher, intermediate people's courts, as well as maritime courts have met in Beijing to ascertain how courts at various levels will react under the new situation.

Along with China's accession into WTO, China will gradually open sectors involving finance, insurance, telecom, commerce, transport, construction, tourism and intermediate service to overseas investors, and market mechanisms featuring unification, free and fair competition will be put in place step by step.

"Open and fierce competition will naturally cause a rise in the number of litigation cases at courts, especially court cases involving foreign nationals," Xiao said.

At a specially convened seminar Tuesday, Xiao also spelled out the post-WTO challenges Chinese courts will face.

New laws, regulations and rules need to be drafted, and some decrees also need to be amended, while some obsolete laws must be abolished, Xiao said.

He added it was also necessary to adhere to the principle of "justice and efficiency," do a good job in court trials, especially those cases involving overseas investors, train more qualified judges, and deepen court reform.

( November 22, 2001)