China's top court stresses improved legal services for Xiongan New Area

Shen Deyong, executive vice president of the Supreme People's Court, said more efforts should be made to provide legal services and guarantees for Xiongan New Area and the coordinated development of Beijing and surrounding regions. The handling of"zombie enterprises" should be promoted through improving the mechanism for dealing with bankruptcy cases and applying corporate law and legal interpretations to resolve cases, Shen said at a forum on judicial matters in the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region on Tuesday.

"Zombie enterprises" are unprofitable firms burdened with debt, mismanagement or overcapacity.

Shen also stressed that more efforts should be made to handle financial cases and cases involving intellectual property rights, protect creditors' rights and consumers' interests, and boost technological innovation.

Cases involving the relocation of enterprises and shopping malls out of the densely populated city center should be properly dealt with to create a fair and just legal environment for Xiongan New Area, said Shen.

Xiongan New Area, covering Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties in Hebei Province, is about100 kilometers south of Beijing. In April, the central government announced plans for the New Area, which will facilitate the coordinated development of Beijing and the surrounding region.