Chinese legislators review Supreme People’s Court’s work report

Chinese legislators review the Supreme People’s Court’s work report on Saturday during second plenary meeting of third session of 14th NPC.

SPC President Zhang Jun presented the report during the second plenary meeting of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress.

According to the report, China took decisive measures against serious violent crimes in 2024. The courts concluded 49,000 cases related to offenses such as intentional homicide, reflecting a 5.8 percent decline from the previous year and a 28.7 percent drop compared to a decade ago.

The judiciary responded swiftly and strictly to heinous crimes that violated both legal and moral boundaries, ensuring justice was served.

The report highlighted two major cases where the offenders received capital punishment: Fan Weiqiu, who deliberately drove into a crowd at a sports center in Guangdong Province, and Xu Jiajin, responsible for a knife attack at a vocational school in Jiangsu Province that left multiple casualties. These sentences acted as a deterrent and reinforced public security.

Additionally, efforts to combat financial crimes were intensified in 2024 to protect economic stability. Courts nationwide concluded 2.66 million financial cases, marking a 12.3 percent decrease year-on-year. Cases related to illegal fundraising and money laundering saw a 5.3 percent rise, totaling 25,000.

Chinese courts have enhanced oversight to safeguard businesses and entrepreneurs from improper cross-regional and profit-driven law enforcement practices. The judiciary emphasized preventing the misuse of criminal procedures in economic disputes to foster a fair business environment.

The report underscored that state-owned and private enterprises were granted equal legal protection while their unlawful activities were met with strict penalties. In 2024, 46 property rights cases were retried, leading to the acquittal of 13 out of 72 individuals involved.

A total of 30,000 corruption-related cases, including bribery and embezzlement, were concluded in 2024, reflecting a 22.3 percent increase from the prior year.

Both bribe givers and recipients faced legal action, with courts handling 2,473 cases of bribery offenses.

Notably, the report mentioned corruption scandals in the sports sector, including the sentencing of Li Tie, former head coach of the national men’s football team, to 20 years in prison.

China has reinforced its legal framework to ensure equal rights for both domestic and foreign parties, making its courts a preferred choice for resolving international legal disputes.

The judiciary processed several significant corporate cases related to foreign investment under the Foreign Investment Law, further solidifying China’s reputation as a top global investment destination.

Since 2013, Chinese courts have adjudicated approximately 417,000 first-instance civil and commercial cases involving foreign entities, covering more than 100 countries and regions.

For the first time in 10 years, the number of individuals on China’s credit defaulter blacklist declined. In 2024, 2.46 million defaulters were added, reflecting a 23.4 percent year-on-year drop.

Meanwhile, 2.82 million individuals were reinstated through a credit repair system, representing a 35.4 percent increase from the previous year.

The decline in defaulters indicates growing legal awareness, strengthened enforcement, and an improved judicial system. Established in 2013, the blacklist aims to uphold market integrity and social justice.

China has stepped up judicial protections for IPRs, particularly in key technological and industrial sectors.

In 2024, legal safeguards for next-generation information technology, high-end manufacturing, biomedicine, and new materials were strengthened. The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) also handled AI-related IPR disputes, ensuring the responsible use of the technology while cracking down on violations.

Throughout the year, courts resolved 494,000 IPR-related cases, reflecting a 0.9 percent year-on-year increase.