Judges are striving to learn about overseas laws and to increase their work efficiency

Having witnessed an unprecedented rise in foreign legal disputes, China is expected to see the number continue to rise through the coming 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period, one of the country's top judges told China Daily.

Driving the rise in disputes will be China's expansion of maritime power and its initiative to upgrade trade and cooperation with partners along the ancient land and maritime silk roads, said Zhang Yongjian, a judge with the Supreme People's Court.