Chinese courts boost pretrial mediation, resolve 4.32 million disputes in 2025

Chinese courts saw a consistent rise in pretrial mediation efforts in 2025, achieving an average quarterly growth rate of 28 percent and successfully resolving over 4.32 million disputes, an official from China's top court announced on Friday.

Qian Xiaochen, chief judge of the Supreme People's Court's Case-Filing Division, told a news conference that courts nationwide have always prioritized the preferences of litigants and focus heavily on pre-litigation mediation, aiming to not only safeguard their rights but also aid in resolving disputes more efficiently.

He noted that courts across the country have actively collaborated with government departments and industry associations in areas such as finance, commerce, and intellectual property. These collaborations provide guidance for these entities to leverage their professional expertise within the legal framework to assist in addressing disputes.

To advance the cooperation, the top court has established a mechanism for work coordination and information sharing with these departments, aiming to achieve a seamless connection between litigation and mediation by integrating resources from all parties, according to him.

He cited data showing that by the end of 2025, about 38,000 mediation organizations and 96,000 mediators had joined the mechanism, up 3.3 percent and 8.9 percent year-on-year, respectively.

"Under this mechanism, experts from various industries are guided by judges to mediate disputes related to their areas of expertise, enhancing the quality and efficiency of the mediation process," he said, revealing that the departments mediated 985,000 cases in 2025 under the guidance of courts. (Source: China daily)