Marine courts told to do better as cases surge

China's marine courts should improve their service and build up a reputation, as the number of marine disputes heard in the country has surged in recent years, according to the head of the top court.

Ten Chinese marine courts have handled 30,819 cases so far this year, an increase of 43 percent year-on-year, of which 26,464 have concluded, according to the Supreme People's Court.

To better serve litigants involved in the rising number of marine disputes, the court is planning to build a platform for judicial communications and a database of foreign marine laws, Zhou Qiang, president of the top court, said on Wednesday, without elaborating.