Shijiazhuang Financial Court Resolves Disputes at the Source

Shijiazhuang Financial Court, Hebei Province’s first specialized financial tribunal, is transforming how financial disputes are resolved by moving mediation to the frontline—embedding judges directly into bank branches and resolving conflicts before they escalate into litigation. The approach, highlighted in a Guangming Daily report, has earned the court national recognition as one of China’s first 100 “Fengqiao-style People’s Courts.”

From Courtroom to Bank Branch

At the heart of the court’s strategy is a simple premise: meet disputants where they are. The court has established judge workstations in 10 financial institutions across Shijiazhuang, where judges, judge assistants, and full-time mediators work on-site regularly under a model of “on-site assistance + remote guidance” and “regular circuit visits + on-demand response.”

This frontline approach was put to the test in the case of Wang Xin, a BBQ restaurant owner who fell behind on a small business loan after his father fell seriously ill. When the bank prepared to sue, judge assistant Li Juan at the bank workstation intervened. Instead of pushing the case toward litigation, she worked with both parties to extend Wang’s repayment period—allowing him to repay the balance over 24 months while the bank suspended legal proceedings.

“Thanks to the patient mediation of the workstation judges, I was able to gain repayment time and keep my BBQ restaurant operating normally,” Wang said.

In 2025 alone, the judge workstations resolved 936 disputes, according to Liu Feihu, head of the Shijiazhuang Financial Court. In the first five months of 2026, they have already resolved over 200 more.

A Different Approach to Justice

“Financial disputes are highly specialized. Once they enter the trial stage, both parties must expend significant time and energy, which is sometimes not conducive to resolving conflicts,” Liu told Guangming Daily.

The court’s philosophy is reflected in its handling of a complex case involving an automobile trading company that defaulted on nearly 100 million yuan in bank loans. Rather than simply ruling against the company, Judge Gao Guanyu initiated in-court mediation. The bank adjusted interest rates and extended the repayment period; the company continued normal operations and repaid on schedule.

“If we push too hard, the capital chain breaks, the enterprise collapses, and the bank’s claims cannot be recovered either—it ends up as a lose-lose situation,” Gao said.

The court has also pioneered a “demonstration judgment + advance mediation + judicial confirmation” model, using representative cases to establish clear standards for similar disputes. This approach has been recognized by the Supreme People’s Court.

Measurable Results

The numbers tell a compelling story. In 2025, the court received 21,392 financial dispute cases and concluded 19,827 with a 92.68% conclusion rate. Its average trial period fell to 38.4 days—down from 43.8 days in 2024—and its appeal rate stood at just 0.93%.

Since its establishment in December 2021, the court has cumulatively resolved over 50,000 financial disputes at the source and helped 7,188 borrowers ease repayment pressure. In 2024, case numbers declined by 25.53% year-on-year—the first decrease since the court opened—a trend officials attribute to the effectiveness of early intervention.

The court has also signed a memorandum on diversified financial dispute resolution with 32 financial regulatory departments and institutions, issued 15 judicial recommendations, and promoted 59 rectification measures across the financial sector.

A National Model

The court’s efforts culminated in May 2026, when the Supreme People’s Court named it among the first batch of 100 “Fengqiao-style People’s Courts”—one of only six courts from Hebei Province to receive the designation, as reported by the Shijiazhuang government. The “Fengqiao Experience,” originating in Zhejiang Province in the 1960s, emphasizes resolving conflicts at the local level before they escalate—a principle now elevated as a national model for social governance.

“The endpoint of judicial adjudication is not a piece of paper, but resolving conflicts and repairing relationships,” Liu said.

What’s Next

As the court looks ahead, its focus is on deepening the integration of judicial services with grassroots governance. The court plans to push mediation further forward and bring services even closer to the people, ensuring that financial dispute resolution combines legal rigor with judicial warmth.

For a country where financial disputes have grown increasingly complex and voluminous, the Shijiazhuang model offers a template for how specialized courts can move beyond traditional adjudication to address the root causes of conflict—before they reach the courtroom at all.