Milestone in China's Legal System: Country's International Commercial Court hears first case

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It's a new beginning for one of the world's largest legal systems. China's International Commercial Court in Xi'an heard its first case on Wednesday. This comes after China's high court set up two courts last year, to specialize in handling international business cases. One was in Xi'an of Shaanxi Province, and the other in Shenzhen of Guangdong province. CGTN's Hou Na brings us more.

A landmark move to show China's judiciary to the world and improve its global credibility.

The trial focuses on a shareholder dispute related to Red Bull, the popular energy drink that originated in Thailand.

Though the court did not issue a ruling on Wednesday, legal professionals say it's a huge case.

SHEN SIBAO, CHAIRMAN CHINA INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC & TRADE LAW ASSOCIATION "The hearing of the first case means China's International Commercial Court has entered a new stage of development."

SHAN WENHUA, PRESIDENT LAW SCHOOL, XI'AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY "It is a landmark case and has historic implications. This hearing is significant because the public needs to know that the court is reliable and can provide fair rulings as it proclaimed it would."

Professor Shan Wenhua, a member of the International Commercial Expert Committee, believes the hearing and the two courts play a role in helping our country improve its global credibility.

Especially after China's central leadership promoted the Belt and Road Initiative and saw rapid growth of foreign-related commercial disputes in recent years.

HOU NA XI'AN, SHAANXI PROVINCE "The two commercial courts are responsible for dealing with large or complicated international commercial disputes. But experts say that the key challenge for the two courts is to establish a good reputation worldwide."

SHAN WENHUA, PRESIDENT LAW SCHOOL, XI'AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY "The challenge is to quickly build up a reputation to attract international investors, other traders."

How to solve disputes will depend largely on litigants.

LIU JINGDONG, DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC LAW DEPARTMENT, CASS "The one-stop platform is the world's first to combine mediation, arbitration and litigation."

The top court says the Chinese courts at all levels resolved about 200,000 foreign-related civil disputes from 2013 to 2017, with BRI-related cases a major component.

Judges nationwide will give equal protection to litigants, no matter where they are from.

HOU NA, CGTN, XI'AN, SHAANXI PROVINCE.