The 40^th Conference of the Comité Maritime International (CMI) was held in Beijing from 14 to 19 October. A delegation led by the Supreme People’s Court attended the meeting, and President Zhong Jianping of Our Court attended the meeting and delivered a speech as a delegate.

    Guangzhou Maritime Court held a press conference to publish the Report on Trials 2011, namely the maritime trial white paper. Thirty odd journalists and maritime experts attended the conference.

    Vice president Zhan Simin chaired the press conference, and president Zhong Jianping presented the purpose, background and contents of the white paper. The white paper is divided into nine parts and mainly introduces the basic information about the cases tried by the Guangzhou Maritime Court in 2011. It also analyses legal issues such as marine resource exploitation, cases where delivery of cargo is not taken in the port of destination, arbitration judicial review, personal safety in marine operations, rights of action and defence, instructions for claiming by individuals and entities engaged in aquaculture, the signing of seafarer labour contracts, and pre-litigation arrest of vessel.

    The Professional Committee of Maritime Regulations of China Maritime Law Association held its 2012 annual meeting in the Guangzhou Maritime Court. The meeting was attended by sixty odd representatives, including those from enterprises engaged in shipping, port, insurance, logistics and legal services in Guangdong, together with those representing the chairman and members such as the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration, the Administration of Ocean and Fisheries of Guangdong Province, the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, Guangzhou Maritime College and Guangdong Ocean University. The eighth chairman was elected at the meeting.

     The Jiangmen Tribunal of Guangzhou Maritime Court successfully mediated a dispute between Hong Kong and mainland residents over the co-ownership of a vessel involving Hong Kong interests. On 15 November, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong (GDETO) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent a letter of thanks to the Guangzhou Maritime Court and Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of Guangdong Province. In the letter, GDETO expressed its gratitude to our Court for providing just and efficient judicial services and support for Hong Kong residents. GDETO also forwarded the Hong Kong litigant party’s gratitude towards the Jiangmen Tribunal of Guangzhou Maritime Court.

    Recently, the Execution Division of the Guangzhou Maritime Court has enforced exit restrictions and thereby successfully closed a case with the judgment executed against a foreign party.

    The foreign party against whom the judgment was executed is a company registered without any disposable property in China. On request by the applicant for enforcement, the Guangzhou Maritime Court legally imposed exit restrictions on the Canadian legal representative of the foreign party. Eventually, the foreign party reached a settlement with the applicant by paying the applicant a lump sum of RMB 150,000.