Chinese courts step up pre-litigation mediation in H1: SPC

BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese courts successfully resolved 2.71 million cases through pre-litigation mediation in the first half (H1) of 2026, 1.81 times the figure for the same period last year, amid efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of pre-litigation mediation, according to the Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Thursday.

During the same period, courts nationwide accepted nearly 21.32 million cases of various types, up 1.15 percent year on year, the SPC revealed.

During the first half of 2026, courts nationwide accepted 471,000 first-instance criminal cases, down 11.18 percent year on year. A total of 634,400 defendants received effective judgments, a drop of 10.11 percent from a year earlier, the SPC said.

At the same time, Chinese courts accepted 250,600 first-instance civil Intellectual Property cases, down 18.41 percent year on year. First-instance cases involving unfair competition rose 9.59 percent year on year to 7,484.

A total of 5.84 million first-time enforcement cases were accepted in the first half of 2026, up 9.9 percent year on year, the SPC noted.