Chinese judges having doubts on specific issues in the trial work will seek for opinions of higher courts (appellate courts) and shall render judgments in accordance with the reply opinions.
Mr. Ma Xinmin (马新明), Deputy Director-General of the Department of Treaty and Law of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of P.R.C., introduced the important role of the Chinese judges in ensuring the compliance and clarification of the rules of international law and promoting international judicial cooperation and the codification of international law.
Chinese courts at various levels, to some extent, are part of the administrative bodies in the national hierarchy, rather than just a judicial organ with the sole responsibility of adjudicating cases.