As of the end of 2019, China had 11 maritime courts with jurisdiction as follows: [3]
1、 Beihai Maritime Court: Maritime and commercial cases that occur in ports and waters under the jurisdiction of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Beibu Gulf waters and their islands and waters, as well as navigable waters connected to the sea such as the Lancang River to the Mekong River in Yunnan Province. The jurisdictional area between it and the Guangzhou Maritime Court is bounded by the centerline of the Yingluo Bay River. The east of the centerline and its extended waters is under the jurisdiction of the Guangzhou Maritime Court, while the west of the centerline and its extended waters, including Wuni Island, Weizhou Island, Xieyang Island, and other waters, are under the jurisdiction of the Beihai Maritime Court. Cases of ship collision, general average, maritime rescue, ship pollution, ship seizure and auction, as well as foreign-related maritime and maritime cases that occur in the waters of Yunnan Province, shall be under the jurisdiction of the Beihai Maritime Court. Other maritime and maritime cases that occur in the waters of Yunnan Province shall be under the jurisdiction of the local people’s court (but the trial shall be subject to relevant laws such as the Maritime Law and the Special Procedure Law for Maritime Litigation). The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Higher People’s Court of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
2、 Dalian Maritime Court: Maritime and commercial cases that occur from the border of Liaoning Province and Hebei Province to the south, the extended sea area from the mouth of the Yalu River to the east, and the waters of the Yalu River, including a part of the Yellow Sea, a part of the Bohai Sea, islands on the sea, as well as the Heilongjiang, Songhua, and Wusuli rivers in Heilongjiang Province, which are navigable waters and ports. Cases of ship collision, general average, maritime rescue, ship pollution, ship seizure and auction, as well as foreign-related maritime and maritime cases that occur in the waters of Heilongjiang Province, shall be under the jurisdiction of Dalian Maritime Court. Other maritime and maritime cases that occur in the waters of Heilongjiang Province shall be under the jurisdiction of local people’s courts (but the trial shall be subject to relevant laws such as the Maritime Law and the Special Procedure Law for Maritime Litigation). The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Higher People’s Court of Liaoning Province.
3、 Guangzhou Maritime Court: Coastal waters of Guangdong Province, inland waters connected to the sea, ports and their coastal zones, as well as parts of the South China Sea. The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Guangdong Provincial Higher People’s Court.
4、 Haikou Maritime Court: Hainan Province’s ports and waters, as well as islands and waters such as Xisha, Zhongsha, Nansha, and Huangyan Island (the court has set up dispatched courts in Sanya and Yangpu). The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Hainan Provincial High People’s Court.
5、 Ningbo Maritime Court: The court has set up dispatched courts in Wenzhou, Zhoushan, and Taizhou, Zhejiang Province’s ports and water bodies (including islands under its jurisdiction, ports under its jurisdiction, and inland water bodies connected to the sea). The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Zhejiang Provincial High People’s Court.
6、 Qingdao Maritime Court: an extended sea area from the border of Shandong Province and Jiangsu Province in the south to the border of Shandong Province and Hebei Province in the north, including a part of the Yellow Sea, a part of the Bohai Sea, offshore islands, and all coastal ports in Shandong Province such as Lanshan, Shijiusuo, Qingdao, Weihai, Yantai, Penglai, Longkou, and Yangkou. The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Shandong Provincial High People’s Court.
7、 Shanghai Maritime Court: Within the coastal waters of Shanghai. The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Shanghai Higher People’s Court. According to the latest notice on June 20, 2006, maritime disputes arising in Yangshan Port and its surrounding waters are governed by the Shanghai Maritime Law.
8、 Tianjin Maritime Court: has jurisdiction over maritime and commercial cases involving coastal ports and their waters, as well as maritime islands, from the border of Hebei Province and Shandong Province in the south to the border of Hebei Province and Liaoning Province in the north. It also has jurisdiction over cases of general average disputes, maritime insurance disputes, and recognition and enforcement of maritime arbitration awards in Beijing (the court has set up a dispatched court in Qinhuangdao). The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Tianjin Higher People’s Court.
9、 Wuhan Maritime Court: Maritime and commercial cases that occur in navigable waters and ports connected to the sea from Hejiangmen in Yibin City, Sichuan Province to Liuhekou in Jiangsu Province. Cases of ship collision, general average, maritime rescue, ship pollution, ship seizure and auction, as well as foreign-related maritime and maritime cases that occur in the waters of the Yangtze River tributary, shall be under the jurisdiction of the Wuhan Maritime Court. Other maritime and maritime cases that occur in the waters of the Yangtze River tributary shall be under the jurisdiction of the local people’s court (but the trial shall be subject to relevant laws such as the Maritime Law and the Special Procedure Law for Maritime Litigation). The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Higher People’s Court of Hubei Province.
10、 Xiamen Maritime Court: an extended sea area from the border of Fujian Province and Guangdong Province in the south to the border of Fujian Province and Zhejiang Province in the north, including the southern part of the East China Sea, Taiwan Province, offshore islands, and ports under Fujian Province (the court has set up a dispatched court in Fuzhou). The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Fujian Provincial Higher People’s Court.
11、 Nanjing Maritime Court: The Nanjing Maritime Court has jurisdiction over the extended sea area from the border of Jiangsu Province and Shandong Province to the border of Jiangsu Province and Shanghai City, the Yangtze River trunk and branch waters from the border of Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province to the Liuhe River mouth in Jiangsu Province, as well as cases involving ports and navigable waters within the administrative region of Jiangsu Province. The appeal case is under the jurisdiction of the Jiangsu Provincial High People’s Court.
