In 2025, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) approved two bilateral treaties establishing structured frameworks for judicial assistance in civil and commercial matters with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Serbia. Specifically, on April 30, 2025, the 15th Session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee ratified the Agreement Between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Judicial Assistance and Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters, which had been signed in Riyadh on December 7, 2022. Subsequently, on September 12, 2025, the 17th Session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee ratified the Treaty Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Serbia on Judicial Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters, signed in Belgrade on May 8, 2024.
Under the China-Saudi Arabia bilateral treaty, the scope of bilateral judicial cooperation encompasses four areas: the service of judicial documents, the taking of evidence, the mutual recognition and enforcement of court judgments, and the exchange of statutory legal materials concerning civil, commercial, and personal status matters.
Crucially for cross-border asset recovery and international enforcement litigants, the agreement broadens the definition of enforceable "court decisions". The term formally includes judgments rendered in civil, commercial, and personal status disputes, civil orders within criminal proceedings regarding victim compensation or the restitution of property, as well as court-issued civil settlement statements (also known as mediation judgments).
For information about bilateral judicial assistance treaties that China and 41 States have concluded, please see the List of China's Bilateral Treaties on Judicial Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters (Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Included). Authoritative texts in Chinese and other languages are now available.
For the List of China’s Cases on Recognition of Foreign Judgments, please click HERE.
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- Chinese Civil Settlement Statements: Enforceable in Singapore?
Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team
