China to promote mediation in price dispute settlement

BEIJING -- A guideline has been introduced to promote the role of mediation in settling price-related disputes, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said on June 6.

Price-related disputes refer to those concerning the price of goods or services in civil activities such as settling traffic accident damages, medical services and insurance claims.

Price dispute mediations could be carried out by administrative agencies, people's mediation organizations and professional industry mediation organizations, according to the document.

The guideline calls for greater efforts to innovate mediation methods, improve the mediation system and strengthen judicial guarantees for such mediations.

The mediation agreements reached through such mediations are valid contracts, and the parties may apply for judicial confirmation of the agreements, which would grant them court-backed enforcement, says the document.

The guideline was jointly issued by the SPC, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Justice.