• Area of Law： Maritime Litigation
• Level of Authority： Documents of Judicial Interpretation Nature
• Date issued：12-10-2002
• Effective Date：12-10-2002
• Issuing Authority： Supreme People's Court
• Status： Effective

Circular of the Supreme People's Court on Adjusting Jurisdictional Areas and Scope of Cases for Dalian, Wuhan and Beihai Maritime Courts
(No. 274 [2002] of the Supreme People's Court)
The higher people's courts of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, Military Court of the Liberation Army, the Branch Court of the Army Corps of Production and Construction of the Higher People's Court of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and all the maritime courts:
In order to meet the needs in the development of shipping economy and maritime trial, we hereby, in accordance with the Special Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China on Maritime Litigation, make the following adjustments on the jurisdictional areas and scope of cases for Dalian Maritime Court, Wuhan Maritime Court and Beihai Maritime Court:
I.Scope of area for jurisdiction of maritime and maritime trade cases by Dalian Maritime Court: in the south, it reaches to the boundary of Liaoning Province and Hebei Province; in the east, it reaches to the extended sea area at the estuary of Yalu River and the water area of Yalu River, including a part of the Yellow Sea and a part of the Bohai Sea and some islands on the sea, as well as the Heilongjiang River, Songhua River, Wusuli River and other navigable water areas and ports connecting the sea within Heilongjiang Province.
II.Scope of area for jurisdiction of maritime and maritime trade cases by Wuhan Maritime Court: the navigable water area connecting the sea which starts from Hejiangmen in Yibin City, Sichuan Province to the estuary of Liuhe River in Jiangsu Province.
III.Scope of area for jurisdiction of maritime and maritime trade cases by Beihai Maritime Court: the ports and water area in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the sea area in Beibu Gulf and the islands and water area there, as well as the navigable water area connecting the sea which starts from Lancang River to Meigong River in Yunnan Province.
The jurisdictional area of Beihai Maritime Court and that of Guangzhou Maritime Court shall be demarcated by the central line of watercourse in Yingluo Gulf. The maritime and maritime trade cases arising in the east of the central line of watercourse and the extended sea area shall be under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou Maritime Court, while those arising in the west of the central line of watercourse and the extended sea area, including the water area covering Wuni Island, Weizhou Island, Xieyang Island, etc., shall be under the jurisdiction of Beihai Maritime Court.
IV.Dalian Maritime Court, Wuhan Maritime Court and Beihai Maritime Court shall separately have the jurisdiction over the following maritime and maritime trade cases arising in the water area in Heilongjiang Province (Dalian), the water area of branches of Changjiang River (Wuhan), the water area in Yunnan Province (Beihai):
1.cases on collision of vessels, general average, maritime salvage, pollution by vessels, distrainment and auction of vessels;
2.maritime and maritime trade cases involving foreign interests.
Other maritime and maritime trade cases arising in the above said water areas shall be under the jurisdiction of the local people's courts.
V.The local people's courts shall, when trying maritime and maritime trade cases, apply the Maritime Code of the People's Republic of China, the Special Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China on Maritime Litigation and other relevant laws.
December 10, 2002