The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave advice on offering judicial service to help implement "One Belt, One Road" initiatives including strengthening cooperation with the countries involved to crack down on terrorism and transnational crimes.
"Local people's courts at different levels should play their role in dealing with criminal trials and strengthen cooperation with the courts of the countries along 'One Belt, One Road' to severely crack down on terrorism, ethnic separatism, religious extremism and transnational crimes," the Supreme Court said in a statement released on Tuesday.
The "One Belt, One Road" initiative, which was first put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping and launched at the end of 2013, focuses on connecting countries along the land-based "Silk Road Economic Belt," including Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and countries along the ocean-going "Maritime Silk Road," including countries like India and Singapore.
The Supreme Court also asked local courts to deepen judicial reforms to help foreigners to attend trials.
Since there is no specific regulation on giving permission to foreigners to attend a court trial in China, few of them were allowed to do so and protecting their rights will ensure the openness and fairness of our judicial system, said Luo Dongchuan, a chief judge with the Supreme Court, in Tuesday's conference in Beijing.
The Supreme Court also urged local courts at all levels to improve bilateral and multilateral agreements with the countries in the "One Belt, One Road" for recognition and enforcement of judicial judgments.
China could offer judicial assistance to foreigners whose country does not have an agreement with China to create a beneficial relationship before they further expand judicial cooperation.
