BEIJING, Feb. 6 -- China's Supreme Court has released a judicial interpretation on contract dispute cases in construction projects which aims to protect the rights and interests of construction workers.

The interpretation stipulates that the people's courts should, after identifying the contractors' arrears for the subcontractors, order the contractors to assume responsibility for the developers within the scope of the arrears.

The interpretation also said that the actual developers had the right to bring a suit of subrogation against the contractors, which further protects the rights and interests of construction workers.

If the losses of an invalid construction project contract cannot be estimated, the people's court can, at the request of one party, make the judgment according to factors including the extent of the two parties' faults and the causal relationship between the faults and losses, the interpretation read.

The interpretation took effect on Feb. 1.