Beijing system to help resolve civilian-military disputes

A Beijing court has set up a new system with the People's Liberation Army to better handle disputes between civilians and the military.

China began a massive reform of its military in 2015. This has included merging departments to optimize efficiency, and putting restrictions on commercial activities to safeguard security and prevent corruption.

Yet the changes have brought an increase in civilian-military disputes, such as lawsuits brought by business owners evicted from properties owned by the armed forces, according to Sun Guoming, vice-president of Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court.

"We've had difficulties in handling such disputes in the past," he said on Tuesday.

Sun explained that civilian court officials can struggle to access military documents and identify which personnel they should communicate with, and can often be denied access to military properties for on-site investigations.

The court, which is in western Beijing, will now work more closely with the Central Theater Command’s five military courts, covering disputes in the capital as well as Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hubei and Henan provinces.

"I believe the new system will help us improve communication and reduce unnecessary barriers," Song said.