Passengers wearing face masks stand on a moving walkway at Beijing Capital International Airport, on March 9, 2020. (Photo: Agencies)
People who disturb Chinese inspection and quarantine designed to control the novel coronavirus outbreak at customs will be held liable no matter where they are from, the country's judicial authorities said on Tuesday.
The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate highlighted the fight against crimes relating to border health and quarantine, noting offenses should follow Chinese laws and offenders may face criminal charges.
This is not about nationalities and also applies to stateless people, the national top court and top procuratorate added.
As it is witnessing a rising risk of imported infections of COVID-19, China has been tightening inspection and quarantine measures in international flights and ports in recent weeks.
On March 16, for example, five central authorities, including the top court and the top procuratorate, issued a guideline warning that travelers who deliberately hide their symptoms or fail to truthfully report their health condition when they come to China could face prison time.
When handling offenses among exit and entry, Chinese courts nationwide have also strengthened efforts in hearing civil disputes through online platforms to meet litigants' demands and protect their safety and health.
From when the epidemic began in January to March 18, courts at each level filed 2.12 million civil cases, of which 898,000 have been concluded, statistics released by the top court said on Tuesday.
It also disclosed 10 typical civil cases relating to business resumption, such as those on enterprise shutdowns and delay of financial loans due to the epidemic, to show judicial determination to help companies alleviate disputes during the outbreak.
Courts across the country will continue offering strong legal protection and better legal services to support resumption of enterprises, the top court added.
