Confusion about the application of foreign laws and delays in tracking judicial documents are among the major challenges facing Chinese maritime courts over international marine disputes, China's top court official and judicial experts said.

Litigants in marine cases can turn to foreign laws if they have agreed to do so under international conventions prior to vessel transactions, said Luo Dongchuan, chief judge of the maritime department at the Supreme People's Court.

But Luo confirmed that channels for searching and figuring out foreign laws in China are still unclear.